Innocence Lost
by NCISVU
Summary: Gibbs and his team work to get justice for a young boy when everybody else in his world turns their back on him. Caution: Physical/Emotional/Sexual Abuse within
1. Chapter 1

**Innocence Lost**

**Chapter One:**

"Like father, like son," Ziva said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Tony asked defensively.

"Oh come on, Tony," Tim said, "you've been framed for murder; your father's been framed for murder. How many families has that happened to?"

"If you guys can't find any work to do, I'm sure I could find some for you," Gibbs warned. He didn't even have to look up to know his agents were heeding his warning. The sounds of shuffling papers and fingers dancing across keyboards filled the bullpen. With no pressing case to work, the group was left catching up on old paperwork and by day two they were having a hard time staying on track.

Just as Gibbs finished reviewing Tim's report from the last case they'd worked, his phone started ringing. He snatched it off the hook and wedged it between his ear and shoulder. "Gibbs," he said as he signed his name to the report.

"Just because we've both been framed for murder doesn't make us bad people," Tony said quietly across the bullpen while Gibbs was occupied on the phone.

"Never said it did," Tim whispered back.

"I think Tony has a guilty conscious," Ziva said with a sly grin.

"Grab your gear," Gibbs said as he stood.

Once again his team jumped at his command. Within minutes Gibbs was in the Dodge Charger and Tony, Ziva and Tim were in the truck and they were all headed to a 7-Eleven not far from the front gate of the Navy Yard at the request of a DC Metro officer.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," a younger Middle Eastern man yelled as he came running out of the store waving his hands. "Do not park van in front of store. I will lose customer."

"We'll move it as soon as we're finished," Tony said after Gibbs ignored the man and walked right into the store.

Gibbs saw a Metro officer standing in the doorway of what looked to be a small office. Inside the small office he could hear a child crying. He flashed his badge as he walked up to the officer. "Special Agent Gibbs; what've we got?"

"Four year old male, Noah Tate," the officer said. "Apparently he wandered away from Tyler Elementary School and headed over here. The store owner caught him trying to steal food and called us. When we found out he was a Navy Brat, we called you."

"I don't understand," Tony said. "Why not just take him back to school?"

"Because of what else I found," the officer said. "Kid tried to run but I managed to grab him by the back of his shirt; ended up pulling it up slightly and, well, it looks like someone's been torturing him. He has big welts covering his back. I tried to talk to him about it but he's pretty upset."

"It okay, Boy, it okay. Do not cry. We help. We help." The Middle Eastern woman was having no luck calming Noah down. The boy sat in a plastic chair in front of a large messy desk and he appeared to be inconsolable. His face had turned a dark shade of red and his tears had plastered his messy blonde hair to his head.

Gibbs entered the room and smiled at the woman as he gave her a friendly nod. He took his hat off and ran his hand roughly through his hair as he squatted down in front of the little boy. "Hey Kiddo," he said calmly. "What's bothering you?"

"I not a'ppose a talk to strangers," the four year old wailed.

"You're right, Noah," Gibbs said as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his badge. "You're not supposed to talk to strangers but I'm a police officer and I just want to help you."

"You're the police?" Noah asked.

"Uh-huh," Gibbs said, sitting down in the chair next to Noah. He knew his knees would start aching if he squatted for too long.

Noah seemed to be even more distraught at the news of Gibbs being a police officer. He curled himself into the fetal position and cried even harder. Gibbs pulled the troubled child into his lap and hugged him, trying to provide some comfort. The little boy was crying so hard he was gasping for air.

"Noah, Buddy, try to calm down for me," Gibbs said, taking stock of the child's appearance. His clothes were a little small, as if he'd had a recent growth spurt. His t-shirt didn't quite cover his belly and his pant legs stopped well above his ankles. He had a nice tan left over from the summer months that made his blonde hair look even lighter. He was a skinny child; Gibbs was sure he could feel every bone in the little boy's body as he held him. To the naked eye, he appeared to be just like every other growing boy. "You're going to make yourself sick, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "Everything's going to be okay."

Noah sobbed into the sleeve of Gibbs' black NCIS jacket while the agent ran his hand down the back of his head. He wasn't sure the extent of the injuries on his back and didn't want to cause anymore pain or discomfort. "Can you try to answer some questions for me?"

"Can't," Noah said his voice shaky with tears. "I'll get-get in tr-trouble."

"Because I'm the police?" Gibbs asked. Noah nodded as he rubbed one of his eyes with his fist. His tears finally seemed to be subsiding. "You know what, Noah?" Gibbs continued. "I'm not the regular police; I'm a special agent and I help little boys and girls like you all the time. I'd like to help you."

With tears still trickling down the four year old's cheeks and his body still shaking from his meltdown, Gibbs gently lifted the back of his shirt so he could see the injuries on the boy's back. He realized right away that a trip to the hospital was in order. He'd never seen anything like it before. Large angry welts comingled with bruises and small open sores where Noah had rubbed and scratched at them, trying to get some relief. Gibbs realized he wasn't going to get anything out of the boy and decided it was time to go.

"DiNozzo, Ziva, McGee, find his mother and bring her in for questioning then get a search warrant and go through her house," Gibbs instructed. "And I want to talk to someone from Tyler Elementary. I want to know how a four year old managed to leave school and wander three blocks without anyone noticing."

"On it, Boss," they all three chimed in unison.

"We'll be at Washington General." Gibbs looked at the little boy in his lap. His tears had finally stopped and he sat exhausted, staring off into the distance. His head wobbled back and forth as if he might fall asleep at any moment. "Noah," Gibbs said gently, "you're going to come with me until we can figure some things out. I know you're scared and upset but everything's going to be okay."

"No," Noah pleaded as he shook his head back and forth, "no, please. I won't be a bad boy anymore. I will go back to school. Sorry! I'M SORRY!"

"Shh, you're not in trouble," Gibbs said. "Just try to relax; let me do all the worrying."

It was easy to see how exhausted Noah was as Gibbs buckled him into the backseat of the charger. As soon as he closed the car door, the little boy slumped over in the seat, completely drained of all his energy. Gibbs adjusted his rearview mirror so he could keep an eye on him then pulled out onto the road and headed towards the hospital.

Noah's fight or flight instinct kicked in when he realized he was at the hospital. His brain told him to run but before his feet could obey, Gibbs reached down and took his hand. The little boy stalled and dawdled as they walked through the parking lot but Gibbs gently led him into the Emergency Room and over to the check-in desk. Noah looked around at all the walls confining him and realized he was trapped. There was nowhere to escape to, no one to rescue him; he was on his own.

After checking in, Gibbs and Noah sat down in an out of the way corner of the waiting room near the TV. It wasn't terribly busy for a Tuesday morning but there were several other people around. Gibbs' attempts to get Noah engaged in books, magazines, puzzles, coloring pages or the TV all failed. The little boy seemed to have gone from incredibly upset to completely despondent in the short amount of time. He sat limply in his chair, his blue eyes only open a slit, his face fixed in a permanent frown. His stomach let out a long, noisy growl and he glanced nervously up at Gibbs.

"Are you hungry?" Gibbs asked.

Noah stared blankly at the agent then watched as he stood and walked the short distance to the vending machine. Gibbs returned with a bag of cheesy Doritos, opened it and held it out to Noah. "For me?" the boy asked quietly, unsure of why the man would be offering him chips.

"For you," Gibbs confirmed as he sat back down. "Eat up, we'll get some real food when we leave here."

Noah cautiously took the bag from Gibbs. Was this some sort of cruel trick? Was the bag empty? Filled with bugs? He peeked inside and saw there were chips in there. He glanced up at Gibbs. The man didn't look angry, he didn't look like he was going to hit him or snatch the bag away at the last second. He reached his little hand into the bag and took a chip out. After one last look at Gibbs, he took a small bite then braced himself. He waited for Gibbs to strike him, yell at him or take the food back but the agent just smiled so Noah took another bite and another. Boy did those chips taste good.

They didn't have to wait long before a nurse called their names and led them back to an exam room. Gibbs lifted Noah up onto the exam table with his bag of Doritos then stepped back out of the way. The young brunette nurse glanced at Noah's chart, put some rubber gloves on then smiled at Noah.

"Hi Noah," she said, "my name is Veronica but sometimes that's a big, long word for little guys like you so you can call me V if you want. Is it okay if Special Agent Gibbs holds onto your snack while I have a quick look at you?"

Noah reluctantly gave Veronica his bag of chips then watched as she handed them to Gibbs. He knew it was too good to be true. They were just teasing him with the food, just like his mother had done time and time again. He was trying to eat as fast as he could but it was hard with nothing to drink. His throat was dry and that made it much harder to swallow the chips. The little boy looked over at Gibbs and the bag of Doritos in his hand, wishing he could have just one more. Gibbs winked at him as the nurse stripped him down to his underwear.

As Noah's clothes were removed, Gibbs fought to stay calm and maintain control. His anger would only frighten the already scared little boy and he didn't want to give Noah the impression that he'd done anything wrong. His torso was covered in bruises that were in the shape of fingers and handprints. Welts and open sores covered his back and large carpet burns blanketed much of his chest. The little boy's bones were clearly visible under his skin; each of his ribs showed through and his shoulder blades stuck way out. Despite his battered body, Noah did have a small amount of muscle on his thin arms and legs.

Veronica sat down on a rolling stool so she'd be at eye level with Noah. She spoke to him with a soft, friendly voice and her touch was gentle. She explained everything she was going to do before she did it and, in an effort to ease some of the boy's anxiety, she let him listen to his heart and then hers, she let him tap his knees with the reflex hammer and play with her penlight.

After Veronica had finished assessing and recoding Noah's vital signs, she left to get Dr. Jamison. Gibbs moved over to the bed and fed Noah a few more of his chips, delighting the little boy. He'd eaten more in the short time he'd spent with Gibbs than he'd eaten in the last week at his house. As soon as Dr. Jamison and Veronica entered, Gibbs returned to his out of the way corner and Noah was on high alert again. He sat quietly and didn't put up much of a fight while the doctor examined him. Much like the nurse she was kind and gentle with him but he still watched her every move very closely.

"Ok Noah, you're doing such a great job," Dr. Jamison said. "We're almost done. I just need you to take your underwear off for me. I need to have a little peek under there."

Noah's eyes shot over at Gibbs and he grew visibly anxious. He started squirming around and fidgeting so Gibbs moved over and stood behind the bed in case the doctor needed help. Noah turned around and looked up at Gibbs, hoping the man would rescue him. "Do I have to?" he whispered.

"Just real quick, Bud," Gibbs said. "It's okay. She's a doctor and I'm right here with you. I won't let anything bad happen."

Noah's worried expression turned to a disapproving frown as he looked from the agent to the nurse to the doctor but he obeyed. They were all bigger than him so he knew they could easily force him and he didn't want to get punished for being naughty. As soon as he pulled his underwear off, the doctor saw what he'd been trying to hide. The swelling and bruises clearly told her physical and emotional abuse weren't the only things Noah had been suffering through.

"Veronica, we're going to need to do a sexual assault exam," Dr. Jamison said calmly as she glanced up at Gibbs. She wrapped Noah in a blanket and smiled reassuringly at him then started getting things set up while Veronica left to get the needed supplies. Gibbs stood at Noah's bedside and handed him the rest of his chips.

Noah struggled through the invasive exam, with Gibbs staying right next to him, reassuring him at every step. The little boy's fear of having people poking and prodding at him were manageable but as soon as Veronica got a needle to draw his blood, Noah decided he'd had enough. He started scooting away from her on the bed until he ran into Gibbs' chest.

Gibbs ran his hand through the boy's hair as he stood behind him, preventing him from both falling and escaping. More than anything, Noah wanted the agent to wrap his strong arms around him and take him away. His little body started shaking uncontrollably as soon as Veronica ran the cold alcohol swab over a spot on his arm. Noah decided he'd been brave long enough. The little boy couldn't handle the stress of the situation any longer so he pulled the blanket over his head in an attempt to hide. He flinched when he felt Gibbs rest his hand on his back.

"What's wrong, Noah?" Gibbs asked. "Why are you hiding under there?"

"I don't wanna do this anymore," the boy said, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks.

"We're almost done, Honey," Dr. Jamison said as Gibbs removed the blanket from the boy's head. "You're being such a big boy."

"No," Noah pleaded, his eyes widening when he saw the needle Veronica was preparing. He stood up on the bed, turned around, wrapped his arms around Gibbs' neck and literally climbed into the agent's arms.

"I know, Buddy," Gibbs soothed as he wrapped Noah in a tight embrace. "We just need you to be brave for a little while longer then you and I can go get some ice cream since you're being so good."

"I not good," Noah wailed, "good boys don't cry!"

"There's nothing wrong with crying," Gibbs told him as he ran his hand gently over the boy's beaten and bruised back. "Veronica's going to take a little bit of your blood and you'll be all done; we can leave."

"It's just going to feel like a little pinch, Noah," Veronica said.

Noah seemed to have tapped into a fresh well of tears as Gibbs sat down on the exam table with the boy in his lap. He tightened his grip around Gibbs' neck, not calming at all as the agent swayed gently back and forth. Dr. Jamison managed to free one of the boy's arms and once again cleaned it with the alcohol swab, making Noah scream even louder. While Gibbs held the boy and the doctor held his arm still, Veronica drew enough of his blood to be able to run the necessary tests.

"Okay, Noah," Veronica said running a hand softly over the boy's back, "you're all done now, Sweetheart."

Gibbs pulled the blanket up and covered the back of Noah's head while the four year old sobbed on his shoulder. Hiding under the blanket seemed to provide some measure of security for the little boy and nothing else Gibbs had done seemed to be comforting him.

Dr. Jamison left to make copies of her report for Gibbs while the nurse retrieved a hospital gown and helped get the little boy dressed. His clothes had been taken into evidence and that was the only thing the hospital had that would fit him comfortably.

"I hope you get whoever did this to him, Agent Gibbs," Dr. Jamison said as she handed him a folder containing her report.

"I will," Gibbs said and that was a promise to Noah, to the doctor and to himself. He shook Dr. Jamison's hand and Veronica's hand then turned to Noah who was sitting on the exam table. "Are you ready to go, Big Guy?" he asked wiping the boy's tears and nose with a Kleenex.

Noah nodded his head as he sniffed his nose, his crying once again slowing. He had no idea where they were going next but it couldn't be as bad as where they were. He couldn't wait to get out of there and he never wanted to come back.

Gibbs stood the little boy on the floor next to him and took his hand. The long, stressful morning had been overwhelming for the four year old and Gibbs knew he couldn't handle much more. He grabbed the folder the doctor had given him then led Noah towards the exit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I've received a few questions about the sequel for _Heart of a Child_. Yes, it is coming. I've got the chapters mapped out right now; I'll start writing it as time allows. I hope to post it sometime this Spring or early Summer at the latest. I just wanted to take a little break from Bailey and Josie and write about Noah. Thank you all for your interest! You guys are awesome!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

After the rough morning at the hospital, Gibbs knew he needed to do something relaxing with Noah to help ease his anxieties and calm him down. As promised, he took the little boy to Cold Stone Creamery and they each got an ice cream cone. It was a little out of the way, a little pricey and definitely not the healthiest option but after enduring everything they had to put him through that morning, Gibbs wanted to give him a special treat.

It was a warm, sunny, mid-September day in Washington DC. Large, white, fluffy clouds floated peacefully by in the sky, birds sang as they sat perched on tree branches and the sun shined brightly down, providing enough warmth to be comfortable in shorts but not too much to be uncomfortable in long pants. After getting their ice cream, Gibbs and Noah headed outside to enjoy the beautiful day while they ate. With most children still in school and most adults still at work, the ice cream shop wasn't very busy, leaving Gibbs and Noah alone on the patio.

"Why I is wearing this dress?" Noah asked slightly ashamed. "Where is my clothes?"

"That's not a dress, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "That's a hospital gown because we had to borrow your clothes for a little while. When we finish our ice cream we'll go to the store and you can pick out some new clothes. Okay?"

Noah stared at Gibbs in disbelief. On the rare occasion his mother bought him new clothes, he never actually got to pick them out himself. All the other kids at his school showed up in nice clothes with bright colors and fun pictures on them but he had to wear somebody else's hand me downs that his mother purchased at thrift shops. Often times they were too small for him, the colors were faded and the pictures had worn off after going through the laundry too many times.

"Eat up, Bud," Gibbs said. "Your ice cream's melting."

Noah did his best to remember his manners and eat like a big boy but he was so hungry and after getting a taste of how good his treat was, he devoured both the ice cream and the cone in record time then licked his fingers and hands clean. Gibbs watched with a sad smile on his face; taking pleasure in the fact that Noah was enjoying his ice cream so much but sad that the boy had been so deprived his whole life.

After their late morning snack, Gibbs took Noah to Sears so he no longer had to wear the 'dress' the hospital had given him. Gibbs had no intention of making him walk around in the gown all day. They walked around the boy's clothing section until Noah found a pair of white board shorts and a bright blue long sleeve t-shirt with a picture of a surfer catching a wave in front of a very colorful sunrise. He also picked out a package of superhero underwear, even though he wasn't sure who any of the heroes were because he'd never been allowed to watch TV at his house and a bag of white socks with gray bottoms.

Gibbs decided to go ahead and get the boy some new shoes as well so he'd have a completely fresh start and no reminders of his old house. Noah settled on a pair of simple gray athletic shoes with a picture of Spiderman on the one side of each shoe and Velcro instead of laces. He didn't have a clue how to tie his shoes which meant he was always tripping over his laces. The little boy almost wanted Gibbs to take him back to school so he could show all the kids his new clothes in hopes they might want to play with him.

After he paid for the new clothes, Gibbs took Noah into the family bathroom and helped him get changed then the two headed back to the Navy Yard. There was still much work to be done and now that Noah was taken care of, Gibbs could focus on working his case.

"Where we is?" Noah asked as they stepped into the elevator inside the NCIS building.

"We're at NCIS, where I work," Gibbs answered as the two rode the elevator to the top floor. "I'm going to leave you with Jenny. She's really nice. You'll like her."

"Where you is going?" Noah asked staring at the bright colors in the pictures on his brand new shirt. He loved his new clothes. He couldn't think of a better reward after what he'd endured at the hospital.

"I have a little bit of work to do," Gibbs explained, "but I'm going to be right downstairs and I'll come back and check on you. Okay?"

"I will try to be a good boy," Noah said quietly almost as if he knew that were impossible.

Gibbs ruffled the little boy's hair as he smiled down at him. "You're doing just fine, Noah."

A lot had happened at NCIS while Gibbs had been out taking care of Noah all morning. News of the abused youngster had reached Child Protective Services and, because of her close working relationship with NCIS, D'Arcy McKinna was sent over to evaluate the situation. Principal Porter and Mrs. Masters from Tyler Elementary School were scheduled to drop by after school let out for the day and Christina Tate, Noah's mother, had just been brought into the interrogation room.

Tony, Ziva and Tim had also managed to get quite a bit of work done over the course of the morning. After making sure all their witnesses and suspects made it into NCIS at some point during the day, they headed over to the Tate residence with a search warrant. A search of the house revealed living conditions that weren't suitable for an adult, let alone a young child. The small one bedroom, one bathroom house sat in the middle of a known drug neighborhood with several busted out windows that had never been repaired or boarded up. The floors were littered with drug paraphernalia and cleanliness was obviously not high on the list of priorities.

Once they returned, it was Abby's turn to get to work. She busied herself by pouring over forensic evidence from the Noah's hospital visit as well as everything the team had brought her from their search. Thankfully, Tim had thought to stop and get her a Caf-Pow! to bring with the mountain of evidence they dropped off.

Gibbs was proud of his team. They'd accomplished a lot in a short period of time. Child abuse cases were the one thing in law enforcement that never got any easier with the passing time but his team was handling it like pros. They were the best, all of them, hand chosen by him, an elite team. Gibbs knew it was time to give them a break.

"DiNozzo, your turn to go get lunch," he said. "Take Noah, get him whatever he wants."

"You got it, Boss," Tony said happily.

"I'll be with D'Arcy," Gibbs said.

* * *

><p>Jenny watched as the four year old sat at the conference table in her office and colored his picture. He was an observant little guy but overly quiet. Every few minutes he would stop scribbling and peek around the office to see if anyone had managed to sneak in without him noticing. He would look over at her until she smiled and waved at him then he would quickly turn his head back to his picture as if his curiosity was going to get him in trouble.<p>

It wasn't long before she noticed his eyelids starting to droop and his head starting to bob up and down. He was definitely exhausted but seemed unwilling to give in to sleep. "Noah, would you like to lie down on the couch and take a little nap?" she offered.

"No," he said quietly.

"If you change your mind, you let me know, okay Sweetheart?"

Noah looked up at Jenny and nodded shyly. He was a little tired but it was too dangerous to sleep. He'd long ago learned the consequences of letting his guard down for too long. He decided to just rest his head on the table for a minute while he colored.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock on Jenny's door. Instead of calling out for the person to come in she stood, walked over to the door and opened it to find Tony standing there.

"Boss Man wants me to take Noah out and get him some lunch," Tony said not knowing the little boy was sleeping.

"Shh," Jenny said. She moved out of the way so Tony could see Noah only to realize the boy was already waking up. Noah lifted his head and wiped the drool off his face with one hand while he returned his crayon to the box with the other.

"Sorry," Tony said when he realized he woke the boy. He walked over to Noah and used his shirt sleeve to dry the drool that had made a trail across the little boy's face. "Are you ready for some lunch, Buddy?"

"I not a'ppose a eat till Mom says I can," Noah said, still groggy from sleep.

"We don't have to worry about her anymore," Tony said as he lifted Noah into his arms.

Noah sat stiffly in Tony's arms. What did he mean they didn't have to worry about his mother anymore? Where was she? What was going on? Did she know he'd gone to the doctor? Did she know he'd talked to the police? Was his mother in trouble because of him?

"Hey," Tony said gently, "everything's okay. We're just going to go get some lunch. Agent Gibbs told me to get you whatever you want."

Tony took Noah out to the sedan, buckled him in the backseat then the two headed out. Noah was thrilled when the young agent rolled the windows down so he could feel the wind against his face. It made him feel free, almost as if he were flying, as if he'd escaped the torments of the world.

"What are you hungry for?" Tony asked as he headed for the front gate.

Noah thought for a minute. He was going to be in deep trouble when his mother found out he ate without her permission. He always got an extra whooping when he stole food from the other kids' lunch boxes at school. On top of that it always made his teacher mad at him. He decided if he was going to eat, he'd better make it worth the beating. As they drove past fast food joints, Noah rattled off lists of foods that he hadn't been allowed to eat in as long as he could remember and sure enough, Tony granted his every wish, going through drive-thru after drive-thru after drive-thru.

* * *

><p>Before heading to the conference room, Gibbs stopped off in the break room to get the child services worker an orange soda as was customary. Despite his image of 'not playing well with others' as Jenny liked to put it, he was more than capable of maintaining both personal and professional relationships. His issue came with trust. He made you earn it and it was never easy to earn the trust of Leroy Jethro Gibbs.<p>

The special agent smiled as he set the can on the table in front of D'Arcy. D'Arcy returned his smile and cracked the soda open. After a short swallow of the carbonated beverage, her eyes met Gibbs'. She steeled herself; it was time to take on another impossibly difficult case. "How bad?" she asked.

Gibbs sat down in the chair across from her after pouring himself a cup of coffee. He normally didn't drink the coffee in the conference room because it was always too weak but today he needed it. It had been a long morning and he was just getting started. "One of the worst I've seen," he answered. He took a long swig of the brew and winced as it went down; definitely much weaker than he liked. "Emotional, physical and sexual abuse. The kid's a wreck."

"I don't have anyone who can take Noah tonight," D'Arcy said sadly. Foster homes across the city were overloaded. The children who needed emergency placement often got stuck in shelters which usually ended up being just as bad as the situations they needed to escape. There simply wasn't enough of anything to go around. "I can put him in a shelter for the night and try to find him a bed in a home tomorrow but right now that's the best I can do."

Gibbs knew how fragile Noah was. He'd heard stories about what the shelters were like. He couldn't do that to Noah. "I haven't had a chance to question him yet," he replied, "he's been through enough today. Let me take him tonight. I'll make sure he gets a good meal, a warm bath and a comfortable bed. You can pick him up tomorrow, after he and I talk for a little bit."

D'Arcy smiled as she took another sip of the soda. "Sounds like a plan," she said. A reasonable compromise; both were happy with the arrangement. "Can I meet him? Is he here?"

"If you want to hang around," Gibbs said as he stood. "He's out with DiNozzo getting some lunch. They should be back soon." He paused and turned back around before exiting the conference room. "He's had a helluva day, D'Arcy. He can't handle much more."

Gibbs' way of asking her not to push the little boy; she understood. "I just want to say hello," she replied with a warm smile.

* * *

><p>By the time Tony and Noah made it back, Gibbs had returned to his desk and was making notes on the report Dr. Jamison had given him. He had to make sure he had his facts straight before questioning the mother. He knew if she wasn't directly responsible for the abuse on her child, she likely knew who was. D'Arcy was sitting with Ziva looking at photos from her recent trip to the beach with Tony, Tim, Jimmy and Breena. Tim was sitting at his desk making phone calls and Abby was in her lab working diligently on trying to identify several DNA samples.<p>

Tony stepped off the elevator carrying several bags from a wide variety of fast food joints and a couple boxes of pizza with Noah following behind him. "You doing okay, Tater?" he asked looking down to make sure the little boy didn't walk into anything while he was eating his popcorn chicken.

"Tater?" Tim asked skeptically.

"His last name is Tate, McGoo," Tony snapped, "it's not rocket science." He put the fast food bags on Gibbs' desk and the boxes of pizza on his desk. "I got Noah popcorn chicken and macaroni and cheese from KFC, fries from Mickey D's, a cheeseburger from Wendy's, nachos from Taco Bell, an apple turnover from Arby's and some chocolate milk and a chocolate glazed donut from the gas station down the street. I got pizza for the rest of us," he explained as Gibbs pulled another chair over behind his desk for the boy to sit in.

"The child must be hungry," Ziva said staring at the mountain of food on Gibbs' desk.

"Well, he didn't actually pick _all_ of that. I added a few extra things for him," Tony admitted. "I just wanted to make sure he had a good variety to choose from."

"You did good, DiNozzo," Gibbs said with a slight smirk. D'Arcy approached Gibbs' desk, smiling down at the little boy as he ate his chicken. "Noah, this is D'Arcy," Gibbs said as he started unwrapping the boy's lunch. "She's going to be really good friends with us and she's going to help us out a little bit." He didn't want to worry Noah about going to a new home or stress him out over anything that wasn't absolutely necessary at that point.

"Hi Noah," D'Arcy said with a friendly smile. "It is very nice to meet you."

Noah looked from D'Arcy to Gibbs and nodded that he understood even though he was still quite confused. He was kind of tired of meeting new people. The only thing he really wanted to do at that point was eat. Gibbs unwrapped the rest of Noah's lunch and laid it out in front of him. The little boy grabbed at his selections, taking a couple bites of each item before quickly moving on to the next thing.

The group watched as he shoved handfuls of food into his mouth, barely chewing before swallowing and adding more. "Slow down a little bit, Bud," Gibbs said. "I don't want you to choke. Nobody's going to take your lunch away." Noah slowed slightly at Gibbs' instruction, heeding the agent's advice. He didn't even notice that everyone was watching him eat.

"You guys are having a party up here without me?" Abby mock whined as she rounded the corner into the bullpen.

"There's plenty to go around, Abs," Tony said, "help yourself."

"Thank you, Tony," Abby said, bypassing the boxes of pizza on his desk and walking over behind Gibbs' desk. "You must be Noah," she said kneeling next to the four year old.

Noah put a couple French fries in his mouth then looked over at Gibbs. He had no idea who this other new lady was or what she wanted to do to him; all he could hope for was that it wouldn't hurt.

"This is Abby," Gibbs said. "She's helping us out too."

Noah took one more peek over at Abby then continued eating his lunch. Gibbs ruffled the little boy's hair as he turned his attention to Abby. "What do you got for me?" he asked.

"I isolated two different genetic samples in the swabs the hospital sent over," she said, choosing her words very carefully around Noah. "One female, one male."

"Do we know who?" Gibbs asked before taking a bite of his pizza.

"The female sample is definitely a relative," Abby answered, "but with nothing to run it against I can't tell you it for sure belongs to—you know who. I have them both running right now. I'll let you know if anything pops."

"Thanks Abs," Gibbs said as the reality of the situation hit him like a brick wall. Noah had never had a loving mother, it was doubtful he even knew what real love felt like. He rested his hand on the little boy's head, silently vowing to do whatever he had to to help him.

"Am I done now?" Noah asked, thinking the hand on his head meant he needed to stop eating.

Gibbs smiled at the child and ran his thumb over his messy blonde hair. "You eat until you're full, Noah," he said with a reassuring smile.

Noah peeked up at Gibbs, sensing something was wrong at the change in the man's demeanor. The agent's smile eased his fears slightly but the confusion of the day was only building. He picked at what was left of his food until the rest of the group was done eating. Gibbs packed up the rest of his popcorn chicken and the donut he hadn't eaten then threw what was left of the food away.

"Alright Kiddo," Gibbs said turning to Noah, "I'm getting ready to go have a talk with a couple people and I need you to go with Abby for a little while. Can you do that for me?"

Noah looked from Gibbs to Abby then sank down in his chair. "What her is going to do to me?" he whispered.

Gibbs smiled at the boy as he sat him up straight in the chair. "She might color some pictures with you, maybe play a game, maybe watch a movie and eat popcorn. She might even show you her hippopotamus," he added mysteriously.

Noah cocked his head, curiosity winning out over fear. "What is a-a… what is that?" he asked.

"Why don't you come with me, Noah," Abby said offering him her hand, "and I'll show you."

Noah thought it over for a minute as he stared the black nail polish on Abby's fingers. He kind of wanted to go with Gibbs considering he didn't really know this new lady but he was wondering what mysterious thing Abby had to show him in her lab. He put his hand in Abby's and let the Goth lead him over to elevator, staring back at Gibbs as he was led him away.

* * *

><p><strong>UP NEXT:<strong> We meet Noah's mom and have a chat with Noah's teacher and of course more of Noah interacting with the team. My apologies to smush68… I told you we were going to have an interrogation scene with the mom in this chapter but it got too long. It's coming in the next chapter, I promise!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Gibbs stood in the observation room, watching the Seaman through the two way mirror. She was a short woman, with light hair and dark eyes. She wore a bit too much make-up but it didn't look bad on her. Gibbs knew from her file that she hadn't been in the Navy long; she was barely out of boot camp. The 24 year old had failed at every other job she'd attempted in her life then decided to give the Navy a shot. She was an average sailor, not exceptional but she kept her head down and stayed out of trouble.

He watched as her eyes found the camera mounted in the corner of the room. After staring at that for a moment she peered into the mirror, almost as if she was looking back at him. Gibbs took a drink of his coffee, not taking his eyes off the woman. She appeared to be more inconvenienced than nervous, judging by her facial expression and her body language. He decided it was time. He threw his empty coffee cup into the trash can, walked out of the observation room and into the interrogation room.

"It's about time," the woman huffed under her breath, just loud enough for Gibbs to hear.

Gibbs ignored her remark, sat down in the chair in front of her, laid his folder on the table and folded his hands on top of it. The woman tried to hold eye contact with him but failed and quickly looked away. She started to squirm slightly in his presence as he silently stared at her. She came off as a cold, calculating individual hiding behind her innocent looks and nervous appearance but she was no match for Gibbs.

"Why am I here, Sir?" she asked, the nastiness gone from her voice.

After staring at her for a moment longer, Gibbs unfolded his hands and opened the folder in front of him. "Seaman Christina Tate," he said, reading her name off the page in front of him.

"Yes Sir," Tate interrupted. "I um, I-I really need to go, Sir. My son, I need to pick him up from school."

Gibbs watched as the woman played with her fingers but she wasn't picking at them as if she were nervous, she acted more like she was bored and simply wanted to leave. "Noah's safe," he said.

Tate's eyes shot up to meet his, not expecting to hear that. "You have Noah?" she asked suspiciously. Gibbs could almost see the wheels in her mind turning, trying to figure out how much he knew and what exactly she should say. "This is all a big misunderstanding, Sir," she said. "It's really not what you think. Noah likes to play rough. He got those bruises himself."

A vague statement that might be able to explain away a few of the little boy's physical injuries but Gibbs knew better. He countered with a question that didn't tell Tate how much he knew but at the same time it demanded an answer. "Which bruises, Seaman?"

Tate scanned the room with her eyes, searching for an acceptable answer. She knew it was better if she didn't tell any outright lies he could come back and nail her with. She just needed a minute to come up with a suitable answer.

"Hey!" Gibbs yelled as he slammed his hand onto the table. He wouldn't give her time to play her little games. He wanted her on edge. "Which bruises?" he repeated annunciating each word.

Tate jerked back, frightened by the sudden display of impatience and anger. She quickly regained her composure, straightening out her uniform top. "Look Agent Gibbs," she said snidely, "I don't know what you think happened but I didn't touch that kid." Her response was harsh, unemotional; she was done trying to play games with him. All the waiting around for Gibbs to come in and speak with her had clearly made her impatient.

"That kid," Gibbs repeated in disbelief. "Are you referring to your son?" Tate hardened her expression. Gibbs could feel the hatred radiating off of her but why? Noah was a four year old child. He knew he wouldn't get an answer but he decided to ask anyways. "Why do you hate Noah so much?" he asked, no emotion in his voice. He watched her body language very closely knowing that would tell him more than a verbal answer.

Tate was caught off guard by the question, by the insight Gibbs seemed to have. She wasn't sure how to answer. She dare not admit to hating Noah, especially not in front of a federal agent. The only thing she could think about was how much of a pain that kid was; he'd always been a thorn in her side but ever since he'd started school, things had just gotten worse for her. As she mulled the answer over in her head, her hatred grew. Gibbs sat quietly, watching, waiting for her to slip up. Her rage wasn't very far under the surface.

"If you didn't beat your kid, Seaman Tate, who did?" he asked, pushing her a little more.

"You're the special agent," she growled, "you figure it out." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was clear she was done talking.

* * *

><p>Abby took Noah down to her lab while Gibbs was busy interrogating his mother. Her main project was identifying DNA samples and they were already running so she had some time to devote to the little boy. She gave him a quick tour of her lab, showing him each one of her precious babies. Noah didn't understand the bond she felt with her machines or understand what the equipment did but he liked all the bright colors decorating her lab. Abby ended the tour in her office where Bert was sitting on her desk.<p>

Noah immediately spotted the stuffed hippopotamus sitting near Abby's computer. Sometimes the children in his class brought stuffed animals to school for show and tell but they never let him touch them. One time, when he was at the store with his mother, he secretly pet one of the stuffed animals on display when she wasn't looking. He'd considered trying to take the animal, just so he'd have a friend but it was too big.

Abby grabbed Bert off her desk and held him out in front of Noah. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked. "His name is Bert."

Noah stared up at Abby, his blue eyes sparkling and his mouth hanging open in awe. He carefully took the hippo from Abby and held it as if it were a piece of fine china.

"Give him a hug," Abby encouraged.

"Will him break?" Noah asked.

"Nope," Abby said. "Go on, Bert likes hugs."

Noah wrapped his arms around the animal and gave it a gentle squeeze then jumped when it made noise. His face turned a bright shade of red and he looked at Abby in horror. "Sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"He's supposed to do that!" Abby said with a bright smile. She squeezed the hippo herself and smiled at Noah when it made the farting noise again. Noah looked at Abby as if she'd gone mad but he was starting to like this game. He lightly squeezed the hippo then watched as Abby laughed. He figured out the longer and harder he squeezed, the more noise it made and the more Abby laughed. He didn't crack a smile but he was having fun making Abby laugh.

When they got tired of making Bert fart, Abby gave Noah several options of what they could do. After much contemplation, he finally settled on watching a movie. Abby suspected the little guy wouldn't last long before falling asleep so she spread out the futon and let him lie down with Bert while he watched. She wanted to lay down and cuddle with him but knowing what he'd been through, she didn't want to scare him and she knew Gibbs would show up soon expecting answers. She had work to do while Noah relaxed.

* * *

><p>After an enlightening but somewhat disappointing interrogation with Christina Tate, Gibbs headed to the lab to check in with Abby and check up on Noah. He entered quietly, noting there was no loud music echoing through the halls. He hoped that meant the little boy was getting some rest.<p>

"He doing okay?" he asked Abby in a whisper as he walked softly over to the futon where the boy was laying.

"Yeah," Abby whispered back. "He's been sleeping for about a half an hour."

Gibbs gently pulled the blanket back to find Noah sleeping peacefully with one arm wrapped tightly around Bert. He covered him back up and left him to sleep. "What've you got?" he asked quietly, walking over to Abby.

"The semen sample collected from Noah's stomach belongs to a Jason Patrick Lambert," Abby said as she pulled up the man's rap sheet for Gibbs to see. "He has multiple drug convictions but I couldn't find any connections between him and Seaman Tate or Noah."

"And the female sample?" Gibbs asked staring at the picture of the dark haired man on Abby's computer.

"Tate wouldn't voluntarily give up a sample so DiNozzo's getting a warrant for her DNA," Abby answered. "Right now all I can conclusively tell you is the sample is from a close relative of Noah and his mother is the only known living relative. I'll let you draw your own conclusions."

"Let me know when you have something concrete," Gibbs said.

Noah started to stir when he heard Gibbs' deep voice. Even in his exhaustion, he was still on high alert while he slept. He hugged the hippo to his chest as he stretched causing it to make a short farting noise and alert Gibbs and Abby that he was awake. He sat up and rubbed his eyes then found Gibbs smiling at him when he opened them again.

"Did you have a good nap?" Gibbs asked running his hand over the little boy's messy hair in an attempt to straighten it. Noah nodded his head as he watched Gibbs, waiting to see what was going to happen next. "Do you want to go back to sleep for a little bit longer? There are a few more things I have to do before we can leave."

"I don't wanna sleep," Noah said. That was kind of a lie; he was really tired but he was afraid he was going to miss something if he slept.

"I'm going to leave you here with Abby for a little while longer," Gibbs said, "but when I'm done with work, I'll come back and get you and we're going to go to my house tonight."

Noah cocked his head at Gibbs. Why was the agent taking him home to his house? Why wasn't he going home to his mother? In fact, where was his mother? He felt like he'd asked Gibbs a lot of questions that day but he hoped the agent would answer one more for him. "Why I is going home with you?"

"So I can make sure you're safe," Gibbs answered. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Noah was satisfied with that answer. In fact, it sounded really good to him. He was a little leery about what Gibbs was going to do to him once they were alone in his house but he tried not to let it bother him too much. The man had been nice to him so far; he figured he owed it to him to be nice back. Before he could worry about it too much, Abby sat him down in the chair next to hers and put a bowl of popcorn in his lap. Gibbs patted Noah's head then left him and Abby to watch _Toy Story_.

* * *

><p>Gibbs' team had been hard at work ever since their lunch break. After spending the entire morning and half of the afternoon on the phone, Tim finally managed to track down the woman Seaman Tate named as Noah's emergency contact with the school. A brief conversation with her on the phone led him to the conclusion that she was so high on drugs that she wasn't going to be of much help to them. The only useful information he was able to get from her was the name of Tate's boyfriend, Jason Patrick Lambert, or JP as everyone called him. After a few more phone calls and some electronic tracking, Tim learned the man was out of town visiting friends in Philadelphia. He made arrangements for him to be picked up and brought to NCIS Headquarters but he wouldn't arrive until the following day.<p>

Tony spent the afternoon securing a warrant for Seaman Tate's DNA as well as one for her arrest. While Abby collected the DNA sample, he took over entertaining Noah then made arrangements for their prisoner to be transferred.

Dr. Jamison called to inform Gibbs that Noah's blood work had come back and revealed he had an iron deficiency. She seemed to think it was caused from his poor diet and could be corrected by feeding him food rich in iron.

Ziva was sitting in the conference room with Principal Porter and Mrs. Masters from Tyler Elementary School, waiting for Gibbs' arrival. She played the friendly host, offering both women coffee and making sure they were comfortable. She knew once Gibbs arrived that would no longer be the case.

Gibbs walked confidently through the halls towards the conference room. Things seemed to be falling into place quite nicely. Seaman Christina Tate was in custody and not going anywhere. JP Lambert was in transit back to DC where he would also be locked up. Noah had a long road ahead of him but he was safe from harm and Gibbs was on his way to confront the school officials who had somehow managed to lose a four year old child earlier that morning. They'd managed to get quite a bit done in a short amount of time. There was only one question plaguing him and he feared he would never get an answer: what had caused this young mother to harbor such hatred towards her small child? Few crimes made sense to him but this one had him baffled.

He walked into the conference room and poured himself another cup of the too weak coffee before sitting down next to Ziva, across from the two women from Tyler Elementary. This was his last interview of the day and he couldn't be happier. It was still early by his standards but it had been an emotionally draining day for him; especially after spending the morning at the hospital with a distraught four year old. In a perfect world he could've hugged and kissed the boy's tears away but that wasn't the case. They needed clues about what had happened and evidence to prove it. Even if Noah was willing to talk about it, the examination still would've been necessary both for evidence collection purposes and to assure that the boy was okay physically but that didn't make it any easier to listen to the child's cries.

"This is Principal Porter," Ziva said indicating the tall, thin, older woman sitting at the table wearing an out of date pant suit, "and this is Mrs. Masters, Noah's kindergarten teacher." The teacher was of average build with short blonde hair and brown eyes framed by librarian style glasses. She appeared to take great care in her appearance, dressed in a tailored pantsuit with her makeup done up perfectly and nothing out of place despite the fact that she'd just spent the day with a classroom full of kindergarteners. The middle aged woman had a smile on her face but it appeared to be forced, as if she were struggling to be polite.

"Is Noah okay?" Principal Porter asked. "We were so concerned when we realized he was missing."

"No," Gibbs answered bluntly, "not really. How did he manage to walk out of your classroom," he said looking at the teacher, "and your school unnoticed?" he asked moving his gaze to the principal.

"Noah is a little bit of a handful," Mrs. Masters said. "His mother really should've waited another year to enroll him in school. He needs more one-on-one attention than I can give him at this point."

Gibbs knew it wasn't uncommon for parents to enroll their children in school as early as possible to save on the cost of childcare. Noah's birthday was right at the cutoff date, making him eligible to start Kindergarten that year but his age was no excuse to ignore him. "That doesn't answer my question," he said before taking a drink of the coffee. The brew was almost unbearable. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the good stuff.

"We're looking into that," Principal Porter said.

Gibbs shook his head. That wasn't an acceptable answer in his book and he'd had enough. There was a four year old child downstairs who'd been failed by everybody in his short life and the only thing the two women sitting across from him were concerned about was protecting their jobs. He wasn't going to have it. "We can sit here all night if you'd like," he started. "I can move you down to separate interrogation rooms and we can do it that way or one of you can step up and tell me what the hell happened in that classroom this morning!" He was yelling by the time he finished and both women knew he meant business.

Ziva looked at Gibbs then over at the two women sitting across from the table. Her face was stern, emotionless. She was just a silent observer. Gibbs was fed up and she knew it. By the looks of the two women they knew it as well. She hoped for everyone's sake they would choose to do things the easy way.

"Noah's real bad about stealing things from the other children," Mrs. Masters said. "I've caught him stealing food out of the other kids' lunch boxes on numerous occasions. This morning when we were saying the Pledge of Allegiance I caught him sneaking off so I put him in time out. I turned around a second later and he was gone. Like I said, the boy's a handful."

With the bad economy and so many searching for jobs, Gibbs knew there had to be a better option for a teacher than this cold, calloused woman. He pushed emotion aside and spoke through gritted teeth. "The boy has a name; it's Noah and the reason Noah stole food from his classmates is because his mother never fed him. If you would've paid attention to him for two minutes you would've noticed his cries for help. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another name on a long list of people who've let that little boy down."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

As Gibbs walked to the lab, he stewed on the events of the day. To be failed by one person in your life was one thing but to be four years old and have no one on your side, no one to turn to for help, no one to lean on for support was unimaginable. Noah had been failed by everyone in his short life and no one was taking any responsibility. His anger grew as he made his way through the halls. He vowed to do whatever necessary to help the young child.

When he got to the lab to pick the little boy up, he found his entire team gathered around watching the movie with Noah and Abby. A little mindless entertainment sounded pretty good to him to right about then but there were still things to be done and he found himself anxious to leave unlike other days when he didn't mind putting in a few extra hours.

"Anything new?" he asked.

"We got our DNA match," Abby said.

Gibbs nodded, knowing the only DNA sample Abby was still running was the comparison between what was found on Noah's body and the sample she collected from his mother. "It's been a long day," he said. "You guys go home, rest up. We start all over again tomorrow." He moved over to the chair Noah was sitting in and rested his hand on the boy's head. "Are you ready to go, Buddy?"

Noah could sense the man was different. Tired? Angry? He wasn't sure. The agent was still smiling at him, still being gentle. Noah didn't feel threatened, just worried. He nodded his head and handed Bert back to Abby. Gibbs helped him climb down from the chair, took his hand and the two headed for the elevator.

"You doing okay?" Gibbs asked, giving the boy's hand a little squeeze as they rode the elevator.

Noah was kind of scared but he didn't want to admit that to Gibbs. "Where we going?" he asked, avoiding Gibbs' question completely.

"We're going to run by the store and get you a few things for tonight then we're going to my house and we're just going to relax. How does that sound?"

"Kay," Noah said. It didn't sound too bad. It would be nice to spend a night away from home.

Gibbs loaded Noah up in the car and took him to Kohls. He usually went to Sears but that was farther out of his way and he really wanted to get home. He lifted Noah up and let him sit on his shoulders, knowing the child was exhausted, and the two made their way to the boy's clothing and found the pajama section. Noah decided he was too tired to pick out any clothes so Gibbs grabbed a pair of blue plaid pajama bottoms and a gray t-shirt that had a picture of a baseball on it. He took the little boy through the bedding section and found a reversible fleece blanket that was navy blue on one side and a lighter shade of blue on the other. He knew Noah liked to hide under blankets when he got scared and wanted to give the child his very own blanket to take with him wherever he went, hoping it would provide an extra measure of security for him.

While they were waiting in line to check out, Gibbs caught Noah eyeing the stuffed animal display by the registers. He grabbed the plush baby sea turtle and the _Yertle the Turtle_ Dr. Seuss book that went with it and added it to their purchases. For a little boy with no worldly possessions it was the least he could do. The look on Noah's face when he gave him the turtle after the cashier rang it up was reward enough for Gibbs. He could've given Tony all the movies in the world and the young agent still wouldn't have been as happy as Noah was at receiving the stuffed animal.

The little boy sat in the back seat of Gibbs' car with both windows rolled down and the wind blowing through his hair, clutching his new turtle the entire ride home. The sight was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to Gibbs.

When Gibbs turned onto his block, he saw Jenny's SUV pulling into his driveway. He hadn't had the opportunity to check in with her after dropping Noah off in her office that morning and wondered what prompted her visit. Visits to his house during kid cases weren't all that uncommon but it was usually his agents or Abby who stopped by, especially when the child was staying with him for a short time. None of his team had children of their own so they adopted the kids that came through NCIS for whatever length of time they spent there. Most of the children were experiencing an unspeakable trauma or tragedy and Gibbs and his team were usually the first stop on their path to healing.

He pulled his car in next to Jenny's and got himself and Noah out while Jenny grabbed a few shopping bags out of the back seat of her SUV. "What's going on, Jen?" he asked as he led Noah towards the house, the little boy's hand in one of his and their shopping bag in the other.

"I just wanted to check in with you, not up on you," she added quickly so he wouldn't get defensive. "I've been busy all afternoon and haven't had the chance to see how your team is doing with the case."

"Okay," Gibbs said. That was a logical explanation. It wasn't uncommon for supervisors to get involved in certain cases, especially cases that involved child abuse. As long as Gibbs kept her up to speed, Jenny often left him to work on his own and do things his way.

"I also got a few things that might make bath time a little more fun for Noah and I thought I'd make you guys some dinner," Jenny said. "How does spaghetti and meatballs sound?"

Gibbs smiled as he pushed his front door open. "Garlic bread?" he asked as he made a mental note to make sure to lock the door that night. An unlocked door when he was home alone was perfectly fine but it wouldn't do with little ones in the house.

"And salad," Jenny said with a smile.

While Jenny worked on dinner, Gibbs decided to go ahead and put Noah in the bathtub. That way they could relax after they ate and whenever the boy fell asleep, he could tuck him into bed and not worry about having to wake him for any reason. He left Noah in the bathroom to get undressed while he quickly changed out of his work clothes and into something more comfortable. When he returned to the bathroom, he found Noah squatting in the bathtub, hugging his knees to his chest with his head tucked safely between them. "What are you doing, Noah?" he asked.

"Waitin' for you a turn the shower on me," Noah said with a shaky voice.

"Let's take a bath tonight," Gibbs said lifting the little boy out of the tub and standing him on the bathmat.

"I not a'pposed a take baths," Noah said trying to peek into the bag of goodies Gibbs had brought in with him. "I too messy."

"Making messes is part of the fun of being a kid," Gibbs said with a smile. He looked in the bag Jenny had brought over and found kids shampoo, body wash and bubble bath among the toys she'd purchased. He opened the watermelon scented bubble bath that came in the fun superhero bottle and poured just enough of it into bathtub as if filled. Noah watched curiously as white subs built on the surface of the water, enjoying the scent of the watermelon. When Gibbs had first told him they were going to take a bath, he'd been a little disappointed. He didn't really like bath time but now he was more interested than scared.

Gibbs lifted the little boy up and settled him in the bathtub then turned the water off. Noah sat perfectly still, terrified to move and accidentally get Gibbs wet. He didn't want to do anything to make the man angry. "Relax, Kiddo," Gibbs said as he added several toys to the tub.

"I'm going to lay you back a little bit so I can rinse your hair," Gibbs said.

"No!" Noah shrieked. "Don't dunk me."

"I won't let you go under water," Gibbs promised.

Noah couldn't control his shaking as Gibbs rested his hand on the back of his head and eased him backwards. He reached out and grabbed onto Gibbs' arm in a desperate attempt to keep his head above water as the agent laid him back farther and farther. He flinched when the back of his head touched the surface of the water.

Gibbs wet the rest of the little boy's hair then sat him up. He didn't realize how scared Noah was until he looked down at his arm and saw the claw marks from the boy's fingernails. "You're ok," he said. He poured some coconut scented kids shampoo into his hand and worked it into Noah's hair, smiling at the little boy for reassurance. "One more time, Noah," he said when it was time to rinse the shampoo out, "just like before." He eased the little boy back one more time and rinsed the shampoo out of his hair then sat him up and smiled at him.

After his hair was washed, Gibbs got Noah engaged in some of the toys Jenny had brought him. The little boy finally started to relax a little and enjoy the experience. The water temperature was perfect, he found it fun to squeeze the bubbles between his fingers, the rubber duck shot water out of its mouth, the boats floated peacefully on top of the water amidst the suds and all the different size and shaped containers were fun to fill, sink, float and pour. On top of that Gibbs was being very kind and gentle with him. The four year old couldn't remember ever having so much fun in the tub.

While Noah played, Gibbs poured a generous amount of strawberry scented children's body wash onto the washcloth. He lathered it up then took great caution washing all the sore areas on Noah's body. He quickly realized the little boy was one tough kid. With the exception of flinching a couple times, he didn't hardly notice when the soap came in contact with the open wounds or when Gibbs ran the washcloth gently over the carpet burns and bruises that covered his torso. Gibbs wasn't sure if it was the fact that he finally had a few toys to play with or that he was just so used to having injuries to that extent that he barely noticed them anymore.

Noah was enjoying himself so much that when Jenny poked her head in and told them dinner was almost ready, he decided he wouldn't mind going hungry again if it meant Gibbs was going to continue to bathe him. The water was starting to get a little cold but he was used to taking cold showers at his house.

"We'll be right out," Gibbs said. "Are you ready to get some more food in that tummy?" he asked lightly tickling the boy's belly. Noah didn't smile but he had an amused look on his face as he latched onto Gibbs' finger.

Gibbs lifted the four year old out of the bathtub, wrapped him in a fluffy, oversized, striped bath towel and dried him off. After he helped the little boy get dressed in his new pajamas, they went downstairs to the kitchen where Jenny was just putting dinner on the table.

Noah climbed into the chair Gibbs had pulled out for him and couldn't believe his eyes. Sitting in front of him was a large plate of spaghetti with big, juicy meatballs scattered throughout and shredded parmesan cheese resting on top. Next to his spaghetti was a fat piece of garlic toast and beside his plate was a bowl of tossed salad.

"What kind of salad dressing do you want, Sweetheart?" Jenny asked.

Noah scratched his head as he stared at the bottles in front of him. He'd never had a salad before and had no idea what salad dressing to pick. Jenny saw the confused look on his place and stepped in to help him choose. She put a drop of each dressing on his finger so he could taste it. The little boy decided he liked the ranch dressing the best and Jenny put a little extra on his salad to make it a little more enjoyable for him.

Just like at lunch time, the four year old didn't waste any time digging into his meal. He picked a piece of baby spinach with a small amount of dressing on it and put it in his mouth followed by a cherry tomato and a crouton. He put a slice of onion in his mouth then quickly spit it out, deciding he didn't like that. He glanced nervously up at Gibbs and Jenny and waited to see if he was going to get into trouble. "Yucky," he whispered, trying to wipe the taste off of his tongue.

"That's okay, Bud," Gibbs said picking the remaining few onions out of the little boy's salad and adding them to his own. "I didn't like onions when I was little either. Can we practice using our fork tonight?"

Noah picked up his fork and looked at it as if it were the most mysterious thing he'd ever come across. He watched the way Gibbs and Jenny were using theirs then tried it for himself but didn't have much luck. The harder he stabbed at the spinach, the less success he had getting any on his fork.

Gibbs pulled the little boy's chair closer to his and showed Noah how to hold the fork. He helped him take a bite then watched as Noah tried to do the next one by himself. The boy struggled to get the food to stay on the fork but finally managed to get an olive and a piece of tomato from his bowl to his mouth. "Good job!" Gibbs praised. A trace of a smile appeared on Noah's face at his success and the praise he received. Even though it wasn't a full smile, it was the closest he'd come all day.

Gibbs ended up having to help Noah eat his spaghetti. He wasn't having much success getting the noodles to stay on the fork and was quickly becoming frustrated. The last thing Gibbs wanted was for the little boy to have a stressful evening. What the child needed was some time to relax and unwind. After everybody had their fill of spaghetti, Gibbs sat Noah on the couch with his new baby sea turtle, which the boy had decided to name Squirt, and turned on _Lilo and Stitch_ while he and Jenny cleaned up after dinner and talked privately.

Noah sat stiffly on the couch, peeking over towards the kitchen every few minutes. Under no circumstances was he allowed to be on the furniture. The agent was letting him break just about every rule his mother had ever given him. Noah felt a small tinge of guilt at the disappointment Gibbs would feel when he found out how bad he really was. He wanted to be happy and he really was having a pretty good time at Gibbs' house but he wasn't really sure what was going on or what Gibbs expected in return for his kindness.

Jenny stood in front of the sink, washing the dishes while Gibbs rinsed, dried and put them away. She made sure Noah was out of earshot before she brought up the main reason for her visit. "What'd the doctor find?" she asked quietly.

Gibbs peeked into the living room and saw Noah standing in front of the TV holding Squirt. "Abuse," he answered quietly, "emotional, physical and sexual."

"I'll never understand how someone can take advantage of a child like that," Jenny said.

"There's hardly a spot on his body that isn't covered in abrasions and bruises," Gibbs said. "Emotionally he's a complete wreck. The doctor didn't find any signs of anal penetration but swabs from the rape kit showed seminal fluid from the mom's boyfriend on his stomach and the mother's genetic material surrounding his penis."

"Has he said anything about it?" Jenny asked.

"After everything else I put him through today, I thought it'd be better if I waited until tomorrow to try to question him," Gibbs answered.

"There's always another one, isn't there?" Jenny asked. "No matter how many child abusers we take off the streets, there will always be more."

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs hummed, putting the stack of dinner plates back in the cupboard. "We just do what we can with what we're given. Right now, we have Noah's case to deal with so we focus on him. After that, we'll focus on the next child that comes to us."

"How are you so strong, Jethro?" she asked looking directly into his eyes as if they were going to reveal some deep-seated secret about how he made it through day after day and case after heartbreaking case.

Gibbs stared back at her but he didn't have an answer. His team saw him as unbreakable in every way but on the inside his heart broke just as much as each of theirs when it came to cases involving crimes against children. Before he had time to come up with a response he felt something on his pant leg. He looked down to see Noah holding onto the hammer loop of his carpenter jeans. "Whatcha doing, Buddy?" he asked.

"I have to potty," Noah whispered.

"Do you remember where it is?" Gibbs asked. Noah nodded up at him. "Ok, let me hold Squirt while you go, and Noah, you don't have to ask permission, okay? You're allowed to go to the bathroom whenever you need to." Noah nodded then left Gibbs and Jenny alone in the kitchen again.

"What a precious child," Jenny said as she washed the last pan.

When Noah was finished in the bathroom he returned to the kitchen to get his turtle. He was a little bit lonely all by himself in the living room and even though he was used to being alone, he was also a little scared about being in a new environment. Instead of going back to watch his movie, he decided to hold onto the hammer loop of Gibbs' pants and stay close to him.

"Are you feeling alone out there all by yourself?" Gibbs asked running his hand gently over the little boy's head. Noah nodded his head as he hugged Squirt tightly to his side. "I'm going to make us a little bit of popcorn to eat then we'll go sit down together and finish the movie. Okay?"

The little boy stayed close to Gibbs' side and watched as he opened a package of popcorn and stuck the bag in the microwave. The loud popping noise scared him at first but with Gibbs close by he felt safe enough to watch as the bag expand.

"I'm going to get going," Jenny said. "I've got some homework to do tonight."

"Thanks for stopping by," Gibbs said. He'd enjoyed her company and having someone to talk to about the case even though they didn't speak in-depth. "And thanks for dinner," he added, "it was delicious."

"You're welcome," Jenny said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Gibbs dumped the bag of popcorn into a large bowl, made two glasses of water then headed into the living room with Noah still holding tightly to his pants. "Do you want to sit on my lap?" he offered as he sat down on the couch with the popcorn.

Noah's eyes grew wide and he started inching away from Gibbs. "You's lap?" he asked nervously. It was time; Gibbs wanted payment for his kindness. "D-d-do you w-want me to-to rub you?" he stuttered, barely able to complete his sentence.

"Rub me?" Gibbs asked, confused by the change in the little boy's behavior.

"R-rub you's dick," Noah explained.

Gibbs tightened his jaw. He wouldn't show any anger, not wanting to scare the innocent child standing in front of him. "No, Noah, I don't want you to rub me."

Before Gibbs could continue, Noah's hands instantly moved the front of his pants in an effort to protect himself as tears began forming in his eyes. "I don't want you to rub me." The little boy was scared; on the verge of another meltdown and devastated by what he thought Gibbs wanted to do to him.

"I'm not going to rub you, Noah," Gibbs said half wanting to throw up but maintaining his composure for Noah's sake.

Noah watched as Gibbs sat calmly on the couch. He listened to the man and knew he didn't have any reason not to believe him. The special agent had been nothing but nice to him but Noah was so confused. His mother and JP never treated him nicely. His teacher and principal were always frustrated with him and the other children in his class refused to even talk to him. Meeting someone like Gibbs had turned his world upside down and he didn't have a clue what was going on or how to react to it.

The little boy thought back to the comfort Gibbs had provided earlier that day at the store and then at the hospital. The agent had fed him, bathed him, clothed him and even bought him a stuffed animal. He'd been very nice to him so far. Noah's desire to be loved overpowered the fear inside him and he decided to take a chance. "Can I still sit in you's lap?" he asked once he found his voice again.

"If you want to," Gibbs said.

Noah inched his way closer and closer until he was close enough Gibbs could reach him. The agent gently lifted him up and settled him in his lap. Noah instinctively moved one hand in front of his privates as his small body started to shake in fear. Instead of being harmed, the little boy found himself surrounded by strong, protective arms. He took a couple deep breaths and let himself relax then cautiously took a piece of popcorn out of the bowl Gibbs was holding and focused his attention on the TV.

By the time the movie ended, Noah was cradled in Gibbs' lap, sleeping soundly. His blonde hair was sticking up in every direction possible, the side of his face was plastered into Gibbs' chest and his little hand was pressed into Gibbs' ribcage. For the first time that day, he actually looked like he was at peace. Gibbs grabbed his new blanket from the couch next to them and covered the little boy up. He sat with the child in his lap watching his chest rise and fall and his eyelids dance as he slept, wondering what he might be dreaming about. He knew he needed to put the boy to bed and try to get some sleep himself but he decided to sit there and hold him for just a little while longer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Gibbs decided to let Noah sleep in the following morning. He suspected the little boy hadn't had a good night's rest in quite some time and knew his team could do without him for a little while. He went about his morning routine of showering, dressing and making coffee then decided to make pancakes for breakfast. His normal workday breakfast was usually just a cup of coffee but he wanted to make sure his four year old houseguest got a good start to what he was sure was going to be another long and stressful day.

After making a batch of pancakes for breakfast, he headed up to his guest bedroom to get Noah up. A surge of panic rushed through him when he realized the boy wasn't in bed. He moved the blankets around to make sure he wasn't missing anything, checked in the closet then dropped to his knees to check under the bed. A wave of relief washed over him when he saw Noah curled in a tight ball using Squirt as a pillow with most of his head covered with his new blanket.

He lowered himself onto his stomach, reached his hand over to the little boy and gently removed the blanket from his head. "Noah," he said softly, "it's time to wake up, Buddy."

Noah woke with a start and immediately tried to sit up, resulting in a bumped head. The little boy rubbed at his new injury as Gibbs reached two big hands towards him and pulled him out. "What are you doing under the bed?" the agent asked.

Once Noah was out and safely secured in Gibbs' lap with the older man's hand running over the growing bump on his head, the events of the previous day came back to him. "Don't tell Mom I sleeped in the bed or eated the food or taked a bath," the child whispered as he sat stiffly in the agent's lap.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked.

Noah glanced around the room making sure they were alone before answering. "Her will be very mad at me and her will have to do bad things to me."

"What kind of bad things?" Gibbs prodded, knowing the child was talking about his mother.

The little boy pushed against Gibbs' chest, raising himself to a standing position. He liked sitting in the agent's lap and loved how Gibbs could instantly make him feel safe but he was leery to get too attached. His friends always seemed to disappear and he'd long ago learned it was easier to just not let anyone in.

"What kind of bad things, Noah?" Gibbs asked again as he ran his thumb affectionately over the child's cheek.

"I not a'ppose a talk about it," the boy answered as he pulled his blanket over his face.

"Okay," Gibbs relented. The last thing he wanted to do was stress Noah out as soon as he woke up. "Are you hungry? I've got some pancakes for you downstairs."

"I have to pee pee," Noah said from under his blanket.

Gibbs lifted the blanket off Noah's head and tossed it onto the bed. "Go ahead."

While Noah was in the bathroom, Gibbs retrieved the boy's clothes that he'd washed the night before and, after he returned from the bathroom, helped him get dressed. The two headed downstairs and had a hearty breakfast before heading to the Navy Yard.

* * *

><p>"Do you think they're okay?" Abby asked as she stopped pacing and flopped down in the chair behind Gibbs' desk.<p>

"I'm sure they're fine," Tim said.

"But Gibbs is never late," Abby said.

"I betcha he just let Tater sleep in," Tony said.

"I'm worried," Abby said, "somebody should go check on him."

Tony laughed at the suggestion. "I don't think so, Abs," he said. "Spying on Gibbs would not be a good idea."

"It's not spying!" Abby objected. "We're just checking on his wellbeing." She was met with stares that told her no one was going to volunteer for the task. "Okay, then somebody call him. Timmy?"

"No way!" Tim said quickly. "What would I say? Hey, Boss, just calling to check up on you. DiNozzo's the senior field agent; I think he should do it."

"Uh-uh McProbius," Tony said shaking his head, "I know better."

The elevator dinged and the whole group watched, waiting to see if Gibbs and Noah were going to get out. Their faces fell and their shoulders dropped when they saw it was an agent assigned to another team.

"I nominate Abby," Tony said. "After all, she is the favorite."

"Not if she doesn't get back to work," Gibbs said.

"Boss!" Tony said spinning around in his chair. "Where'd you come from?"

"Noah and I decided to take the stairs today," Gibbs answered. "Ziva, call Ducky, have him meet us in the conference room. The rest of you, get back to work."

"Sure," Ziva said. She smiled and waved at Noah before grabbing her phone off the hook and calling down to autopsy.

Gibbs put the backpack with Noah's pajamas and blanket behind his desk then took Noah's hand and led him to the conference room. Jenny was already in the room, putting out toys and coloring pages and getting everything ready.

"Am I in trouble?" Noah asked barely above a whisper.

"No Sweetheart," Jenny assured him. "We're just going to color some pictures, play with some toys and maybe play a few games. We're going to have a fun morning."

"What kinds of things did you do with your mom?" Gibbs asked as he picked up a crayon and started coloring a picture.

Noah watched Gibbs color for a minute then grabbed his own crayon and decided on a picture he wanted to color. "Sometimes Mom will take me school," he said, "and sometimes her will come and get me."

"What else?" Gibbs asked, trading his red crayon for an orange one. "Did she take you shopping?" Noah shook his head, not taking his eyes off his picture. "Did you guys go to the playground together? Watch movies? Read stories? Play with your toys?" Each time Noah shook his head no.

Jenny wanted to stay and listen to what Noah had to say but she had to return to her office to prepare for an upcoming meeting. She excused herself and left, passing Ducky and Ziva on her way out. The special agent and medical examiner took a seat near Noah and Gibbs and everybody got comfortable.

"What is happening?" Noah asked nervously as everybody got settled.

"Jenny's going back up to her office because she has a little bit of work to do and Ducky and Ziva are going to play with us," Gibbs explained. "Is that okay?"

Noah looked up at both Ducky and Ziva and watched them for a moment before looking back at Gibbs. "Okay," he said quietly, completely unsure about what was happening. The little boy sensed something was going on but he really didn't understand anything that had happened to him over the past day.

"Everything's okay," Gibbs said with a reassuring smile. He picked up a green crayon and handed it Noah. The little boy took the crayon and after looking around at the group one last time, he went back to work on his picture. Gibbs watched Noah for a moment, waiting for him to relax once again before he resumed his questioning. "If you didn't play or read or watch TV, what did you do all day, Noah?" he asked.

"I stayed in a closet and be'd a good boy till Mom or JP telled me to come out," Noah answered.

"What'd you do when you came out?" Gibbs asked, mindlessly coloring his picture while watching Noah out of the corner of his eye.

Noah grew visibly uncomfortable as he searched the faces sitting around the room. "I not a'pposed a tell," he said. "Mom will be mad."

Gibbs knew Noah was starting to get uneasy and didn't want to push the four year old anymore but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. "Why will Mom be mad?" he asked.

Noah completely lost interest in the picture he was coloring. He let his crayon fall to the table then glanced up at Gibbs before diverting his eyes to his lap. "'Cause I think maybe her was bad and her don't want to get in trouble."

Gibbs thought for a moment as he watched Noah begin to fidget. "How about you tell me what she did and I'll tell you if it was bad."

Noah felt his heart rate speed up and his body getting warm. He was really starting to get uncomfortable with everyone in the room watching him and asking questions. He felt cornered, trapped, but there was nowhere for him to escape to. He wished he had his blanket to hide under but it was in the backpack behind Gibbs' desk. "Will Mom be mad?" he managed to choke out.

Gibbs knelt down next to Noah, trying to catch his eye and held the little boy's hand in his. "Noah, your mom can't hurt you anymore. Neither can JP."

Noah wanted to believe Gibbs but he knew as soon as he was dropped off at home, his mother would know he tattled and he would be in big trouble. The pressure was too much for the four year old and tears started streaming down his cheeks.

Noah's fragile state of mind was of more concern to Gibbs than getting his questions answered. He decided the little boy had had enough, scooped him into his arms and held him close. "It's okay, Sweet Boy," he whispered into Noah's hair, "we don't have to talk about it anymore." Noah wrapped his arms around Gibbs' neck, his tears dampening the collar of the agent's shirt.

Gibbs sent Ducky and Ziva back to work then decided to take Noah for a walk outside, hoping the fresh air would help him relax. They walked hand in hand to a nearby street vendor that Gibbs frequented when he didn't have time to make it to his favorite coffee shop. He got a coffee for himself, some chocolate milk for Noah and two chocolate chip cookies. They found an available park bench and sat down to eat their snack.

"When am I going home?" Noah asked quietly.

Gibbs wiped his mouth with his napkin then laid it on the bench next to him and rested his arm on the bench behind Noah. "I'm not taking you home to your mom, Kiddo," he said, unsure of how Noah would react to the news.

"Where I is going home to?" Noah asked nervously.

"Ms. D'Arcy is going to come by NCIS later and pick you up," Gibbs answered. "She's going to take you to a very nice home with a new family for you to live with."

Noah tried to process the information but it was all so confusing. He had so many questions. Was he ever going home? What was his mother going to think? Would the new people he was going to live with be nice? Would there be other kids to play with? Would he finally make a friend? His thoughts were interrupted by Gibbs squeezing his shoulder.

"You okay, Bud?" he asked.

Noah nodded his head and took another small bite of his cookie, trying to act normal. He decided not to plague Gibbs with all of his questions. His mother always got angry when he asked too many questions and he didn't want Gibbs to be mad too.

Gibbs pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and got out one of his business cards. "This has my phone number on it, Noah," he said handing the card to the little boy. "If you ever need anything, or get scared, or just want to talk, you can call me, anytime."

Noah took the card and stared at it. He felt honored that Gibbs trusted him with it. He didn't know how to read the numbers and he'd never been allowed to use the phone before but he would be sure to keep the card safe. He tucked it away in the pocket of his shorts, feeling a little bit better about everything that was happening.

"You ready to head back?" Gibbs asked.

Noah handed what was left of his cookie to Gibbs and nodded his head. He declined Gibbs' offer to take the treat with them and instead slipped his little hand into Gibbs' much bigger hand and the two started back. When they arrived in the squad room, Gibbs found D'Arcy there waiting. He wasn't expecting to see her so soon and wasn't quite prepared to say goodbye to Noah yet.

He grabbed the backpack with Noah's pajamas and blanket and handed it to D'Arcy then made sure the little boy had his baby sea turtle, his only worldly possessions. Gibbs lifted Noah up and stood him on the top of his desk so they were almost at eye level. He put his finger under Noah's chin and gently lifted the little boy's head until their eyes met. "You have fun at your new home, Kiddo," he said. "I'll come by and check on you after you get settled."

Noah nodded his head and put on his best brave face for Gibbs.

Gibbs wrapped his arms around the little boy, hugging him tightly as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Noah returned Gibbs' hug, cuddling into the agent's chest for what he was sure was going to be the last time. After smiling at him and playfully tapping the end of his nose, Gibbs stood Noah on the floor and watched as D'Arcy led him towards the elevator. Noah didn't say much but the look of abandonment on his face when he glanced back might as well have ripped Gibbs' heart out. He didn't realize how attached he'd gotten to the boy and how difficult it would be to say goodbye.

"Boss," Tony said as he hung his phone up, "JP Lambert just arrived from Pittsburg. He's waiting in interrogation."

"That's where I'll be," Gibbs said making his way to the interrogation room. He knew it was best to continue working. Noah would be fine. He walked into the interrogation room and stared at the dark haired, nicely tanned man sitting at the table.

"What's this all about?" Lambert asked.

"You don't know?" Gibbs asked. "Have you committed more than one crime lately and you're just confused about which one we're charging you with?"

"It's not like that," Lambert insisted. "I haven't committed any crimes."

Gibbs looked from Lambert to the folder on the table. He opened it and pulled out a photo. "Do you know Seaman Christina Tate?" he asked laying the picture in front of the man.

Lambert's face went pale as he stared down at the photograph. "She's my girlfriend," he admitted reluctantly. "Is she in some sort of trouble?"

"You could say that," Gibbs said with a slight chuckle at the understatement.

"Look," Lambert interrupted, "I'll tell you what I know but only because I had no part in it. I didn't do anything wrong."

"Let's hear it," Gibbs said relaxing into his seat.

"The kid," Lambert said, "that's why I'm here, right? Christina hated that kid. She hated him like I've never seen any mother hate her child."

"Why?" Gibbs asked, hopeful that he might actually get an answer.

"Noah's a rape baby," Lambert said. "Apparently the kid looks just like her rapist and she couldn't even stand to be in the same room as him. That's uh, that's why she molested him, to get back at the guy who raped her."

Lambert was obviously uncomfortable talking about it but that wasn't deterring Gibbs. The more uncomfortable Lambert felt, the happier Gibbs was. "And what was your excuse for molesting him?" he asked.

Lambert's eyes shot up at Gibbs, shocked at the allegation. "I didn't, ever. I never touched the kid."

"Then how did your semen end up on his stomach?" Gibbs asked watching the man closely.

Lambert shook his head back and forth in disbelief. "I don't know but I didn't put it there. Maybe the kid laid in it or something."

Gibbs knew Abby would be able to tell him if the semen could've been caused from transfer. He mentally kicked himself for not consulting her about the facts before starting the interrogation but he'd been caught off guard by his abrupt goodbye to Noah. He wanted to get the facts straight before he pressed further so he headed for the lab to consult with his forensic scientist and ended up finding Ducky there as well.

"There's no way this was caused by transfer, Gibbs," Abby said as she studied the photographs.

"The only way to get a pattern like that is from ejaculation directly onto the surface, which in this case is Noah's abdomen," Ducky added.

"Thanks guys," Gibbs said.

"I hear the lad has already been picked up," Ducky said looking for conformation.

"Yeah," Gibbs said with a nod, "D'Arcy came by about an hour ago and took him."

"It is quite possible you saved that boy's life, Jethro," Ducky said sensing his friend needed a pep talk.

"I just hate it when there's no one to send them home to," Gibbs said. "You should've seen the look on his face when— never mind." He waved his folder in the air and offered his thanks to Ducky and Abby as he headed back towards the elevator.

When Gibbs arrived back at interrogation he headed into the observation room, needing a break and a minute to himself to refocus and collect his thoughts. As he watched JP he saw a nervous man, struggling to hold himself together. He thought about what Noah had gone through at his hands and his anger grew. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the pitiful look on the little boy's face when he glanced back as D'Arcy led him into the elevator.

Gibbs groaned out loud as he ran hand over his hair, not even caring if it messed it up. He hated kid cases, especially cases where the child had no parent to go home to. It was in his nature to fix things, to make everything better and when he had to pass that responsibility on to someone else he couldn't help but feel like he was letting them down.

He tucked his feelings away and headed back into the interrogation room with JP, just wanting to get it over with. "Bad news," he said as he took his seat. "There's only one way your semen could've gotten on Noah's stomach."

"Look man," Lambert said desperately. "I didn't do it." Gibbs sat across from the man and silently stared at him. He listened quietly while JP tried to talk his way out of trouble but there was no way he was letting him get away with anything. He was just getting ready to get up and walk out, knowing he had enough evidence to take the man to trial, when Lambert decided to be honest with him.

"Alright, I might have released myself on Noah's stomach," Lambert admitted, "but only because Christina told me to. Chris was always involving Noah in her sexual escapades but it made me uncomfortable."

"Obviously not uncomfortable enough to do anything about it," Gibbs pointed out.

"It wasn't my place," Lambert said defensively. "He isn't my kid."

"I don't care whose kid it is," Gibbs said raising his voice in anger. "He's an innocent child and you could've stopped the abuse instead of contributing to it!"

Lambert diverted his eyes to his lap feeling a tinge of guilt at Gibbs' words. "Any chance you could help me out here?" he asked meekly.

"I'll help you out as much as you helped Noah," Gibbs said before rising from his chair and walking out of the room. With his team on track as far as Noah's case was concerned, he decided to head home. He would complete what work he had left for the day from his house.

Gibbs walked in his front door and for the first time in a long time realized how empty his house actually was. The last time he was there, Noah had been with him. The pitter-patter of little feet had echoed through the halls, there had been tiny clothes mixed in with his in the laundry, cartoons on his TV, bath time and cuddling; all the things Gibbs had missed so much through the years.

He headed into the kitchen to grab some dinner, hoping to distract his thoughts, but when he opened the refrigerator to get his steak out, he found the small box of popcorn chicken left over from Noah's dinner the previous evening. He bypassed the steak and instead grabbed a beer and headed down to the basement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The days seemed to drag on endlessly after Noah left. The paperwork, evidence and witnesses from previous and current cases all started to run together. Gibbs found it a little more difficult to focus on tasks without his mind wandering with thoughts of where Noah was and how he was doing. Despite his best efforts to convince his team that nothing was out of the ordinary, his coworkers were well aware the effect of losing Noah was having on him. His temper was shorter and he spent more time growling at them, much like he behaved after Ari infiltrated autopsy in the body bag.

Gibbs passed his time by working longer hours and disappearing into his basement at nights. What felt like months turned out to only be a matter of days. He knew it would get easier with time but that didn't take away from his current heartache. He sat in his basement on a Sunday night lecturing himself. It had been about a week and a half since he'd last seen the little boy but he was still at the forefront of his mind.

_Never get personally involved in a case, _he reminded himself. He took a swig of bourbon then continued staring blankly through his boat. Why was he having such a hard time with that particular case? He'd worked a lot of kid cases before. What was it about Noah that was different? Perhaps the look of fear and abandonment in the little boy's eyes as D'Arcy was leading him away. That had certainly been haunting him. Maybe the fact that the child was all alone in the world, no siblings, no relatives to lean on for support. Gibbs knew what that felt like. Was it just the heinous nature of the crime? Noah wasn't his first child abuse case and he probably wouldn't be his last.

"Rule number eleven," Jenny said as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs, "when the job is done, walk away."

"I didn't even hear you come in," Gibbs admitted.

"Your team's worried about you," Jenny said moving over to sit next to him.

"Why?" Gibbs asked defensively.

"You know why," Jenny said keeping her calm.

Gibbs rubbed his chin then glanced over at Jenny. "You here to check up on me?" he asked, softening his approach once again.

"Thought you might like a little company," Jenny said. She removed her jacket and tossed it onto the frame of the boat. "What's bothering you? It goes beyond an abused kid, a fatherless child; it's something deeper."

Gibbs looked suspiciously over at her. "Are you asking me as Director?"

"If I was asking you as Director, we'd be at NCIS, in my office," Jenny said gently. "Here, in your basement, I'm asking you as a friend, as an old partner, as your equal."

Gibbs laughed at her assessment. They weren't equals. She'd gone from his probie to his boss in a matter of years and he was still having a little bit of a difficult time making the transition in his mind. She was an excellent leader and fully capable of running the agency but he could still see her immaturities showing through on occasion, especially with her handling of the La Grenouille case. A playful whack to his shoulder brought him back. "I don't what it is about this kid," he said.

"Have you seen him?" Jenny asked. "Might help ease your mind."

"I told him I'd check in on him," Gibbs said, "but I was trying to give him time to get settled, you know, bond with his new family."

"Why don't you go see D'Arcy," Jenny suggested. "Set up a time to see him this coming weekend. That should give him long enough to get settled.

"You think so?" Gibbs asked. He was having a difficult time separating his selfish motives from what was best for the child and was thankful for Jenny helping him put things in perspective.

"Yeah," Jenny said, "I do but D'Arcy can give you her professional opinion too."

"Thank you," Gibbs said. He let his mind wander to Noah and what he might be doing, all the new things he was most likely experiencing. A smile crossed his face at that thought. He could imagine the quiet, shy kid coming out of his shell, running and playing, laughing and even talking nonstop.

* * *

><p>Noah was sitting on the floor in the corner of the dining room, next to the dog dish when he realized he couldn't hold it any longer. He had to use the bathroom and bad.<p>

"I need to potty," he squeaked out, his voice barely audible. Bob, his new foster father, nodded his head and Noah raced through the house towards the backyard.

"Walk!" Leslie commanded in a harsh tone. Noah slowed at the command of his foster mother, pinching himself to stop the leak. When he finally made it to the backyard, he quickly pushed his pants out of the way and let himself go. Sadie, the large yellow Labrador happily licked the little boy's face while he relieved himself.

Noah pet the animal's head and when he had his pants pulled up again he hugged the dog and kissed the top of her head. "Come on, Sadie," he said as he started back towards the house, "time to eat."

As the four year old walked towards the house, he noticed the wet spot on the front of his pants and let out a defeated sigh. He was always making messes and unlike Gibbs who had been patient with him, these people were not. A dribble on the toilet seat had resulted in him having to use the bathroom outside. His inability to use a fork or spoon effectively resulted in him eating his dinner with the dog. His wetting the bed nearly every night resulted in him having to wear a diaper like a baby. It seemed the harder he tried the more mistakes he made and he hated himself for it. His new sisters never made messes and never got in trouble but he found it impossible to stay out of trouble.

The little boy covered the wet spot with his hand, hoping they wouldn't notice. If they noticed the girls would tease him and Bob and Leslie would yell. He slunk back into the dining room and quickly took his place next to the dog. Sadie cheerfully licked his face again, cleaning the food from his lips and cheeks. Noah smiled at the dog as he reached his hand out to pet her. Everyone else was so engrossed in their conversation, they hadn't noticed his return. Maybe by the time dinner was over the spot would be dry.

Noah stuck his hand in his mashed potatoes then put them in his mouth. He didn't mind that they were a little soggy from dog drool or the small chunks of dog food that Sadie had sprayed in them. He was just happy to have someone to eat with. With the dog's help, Noah finished his dinner then let Sadie clean his hands and face. Tonight he'd managed to get enough to eat. Sometimes the dog ate more of his dinner than he did but Noah didn't mind that either. He loved the dog and wanted her to love him too. The truth was she was his only friend.

* * *

><p>Gibbs made his way through the maze of hallways and open office areas with a cup of coffee in one hand and an orange soda in the other. He'd thought about Jenny's advice the night before and had decided to go ahead and try to set up a time to see the little boy. D'Arcy said she had some time to see him during lunch so while his team headed out to a nearby Chinese restaurant he'd hurried over to D'Arcy's office.<p>

"Agent Gibbs," D'Arcy greeted warmly. "You didn't have to do that," she said accepting the soda he offered. "You're already one of my favorite faces to see. There's no need to bribe me." She smiled warmly at him adding a wink. She knew he wasn't trying to bribe her, he was just being sweet. "I'm assuming you're here to talk to me about Noah?"

"I am," Gibbs said sitting down in the hard plastic chair in front of her desk. "I uh, I want to make sure I give him long enough to settle in with his new family but I'd really like to see him. Do you think it would be possible if I took him out to do something fun this weekend?"

"I don't see why that would be a problem," D'Arcy said shuffling through papers on her desk. "I'll call Bob and Leslie to set it up. Were you wanting to take him for the day or just a couple hours or what were you thinking?"

"I don't know what they have planned," Gibbs said. "I don't want to take away from any time he could be bonding with them."

"I'll speak with them and see what they have planned," D'Arcy said. "We should be able to get you at least a few hours with him."

"Thanks D'Arcy," Gibbs said as he turned to leave. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of spending time with Noah.

* * *

><p>Noah came to a stop at a busy intersection and looked as far as he could down each street, trying to figure out which way to turn. He didn't have a clue which way was right so he decided to continue on straight. After waiting and waiting for traffic to clear, he stepped out into the road and hastily crossed the street. A car zoomed by right after he'd stepped onto the sidewalk and honked their horn making Noah jump.<p>

The little boy looked down the block ahead of him towards the next intersection and let out a sigh. His little four year old legs were so tired from walking for so long already but he was determined to get to his school on time. He didn't want his teacher or the principal to be upset with him. They had enough things to be mad at him about; he didn't want to add being late to the list.

He started on his way towards the next intersection and repeated the steps he'd taken at the previous one, this time deciding to go left since the tree halfway down the block looked kind of familiar. He hoped so badly he was going the right way. He hadn't made it two blocks on the new street when a police car pulled up next to him with his strobe light flashing silently.

"Hey Son," the officer said as he stepped out of his car. Noah continued walking even though he knew the policeman was talking to him. "Are you lost, Kiddo?"

The little boy stopped in his tracks. The only person that ever called him Kiddo was Gibbs but that wasn't the kind of car Gibbs drove so he knew it wasn't Gibbs even without looking up at the man. On the other hand, he was lost; maybe the officer could give him directions. While he was contemplating what to do, the police officer gently took his hand and led him over to his car.

Noah's body shook in terror as the officer knelt in front of him. Was he going to be arrested? A lot of cars had honked at him earlier that morning and he knew cars honked their horns when somebody did something bad.

"Can you tell me your name?" the officer asked. Noah stared at the officer in complete shock. The only thing he could think about was how much trouble he was going to be in when everybody found out he'd been arrested. "Alright," the officer said, "I'm going to have a look in your pockets and we'll see if we can figure out who your mommy is so she can come get you."

Noah's eyes widened at the officer's promise. This was it. It was all over for him. He was just trying to get to school but now he was in a boatload of trouble and he couldn't come up with a way to get out of it.

"Who is L. Jethro Gibbs?" the officer asked. "Is that your daddy?" Again the officer was met with silence. He pulled out his phone and dialed the phone number on the business card.

"_Gibbs."_

"Gibbs, this is Officer Nolan with Metro PD. I have a youngster out wandering the streets with your business card in his pocket; blonde hair, blue eyes, very quiet. You know him?"

"_Noah," Gibbs concluded after thinking about it for a moment. "I'll be right there."_

The officer told Gibbs where they were before hanging up the phone and handing the prized business card back to the little boy. Noah snatched it out of his hand and tucked it safely back in his pocket. He never went anywhere without it. It was bent and torn now but that didn't make it any less valuable in his eyes.

"Gibbs is coming to get you, Kiddo," Officer Nolan said. "Can you wait with me?" Noah nodded his head then sat down on the sidewalk. He was so tired from walking so far and boy did his legs ache. Officer Nolan leaned against the side of his car and talked to the little boy, even though Noah didn't respond.

Gibbs pulled his car in next to the patrol car and hurried out. He went right to Noah and knelt next to the boy, looking him over to make sure he was okay.

"You got here fast," Officer Nolan commented.

"I was just a few miles from here when you called," Gibbs said. "What happened?"

"Emergency dispatch got a few calls this morning about a child out here wandering around by himself. I was in the area and just happened to see him. He hasn't said anything so I'm not sure what's going on or how he got here. I was hoping you could help."

"I worked his case about two weeks ago," Gibbs said as he ran his hand affectionately through Noah's hair. "Noah, what's going on, Man?"

Noah let out a shaky breath as he looked at Gibbs. "Are you mad at me?" he whispered.

"No Kiddo," Gibbs assured him, "I was just scared. Why are you out here walking all by yourself?"

"I was just looking for my school," Noah said, obviously scared and upset. "Is him gonna 'rrest me?"

Gibbs smiled sadly at the child. No matter where he was or what he was doing, he always thought he was in trouble. "Nobody's going to arrest you, Buddy."

"Them will be mad at me if I'm late," Noah said. He thought maybe Gibbs would give him a ride, if he wasn't too busy.

"Who is them, Noah? Who's going to be mad?"

Noah shrugged his shoulders. 'Them' was everybody. Everybody was always mad at Noah but he didn't want to tell Gibbs that. Then Gibbs would know he was a bad little boy and he would be mad at him too.

Gibbs rested his hand on Noah's back, cautious of the welts and how tender it might be. "Noah, Buddy, your school is a long way from here. How did you get here?"

"I think I is lost," Noah sighed.

"Okay," Gibbs said, "it's okay. You're not lost anymore. Can you tell me how you were supposed to get to school today? Was somebody going to take you?" Noah stared at Gibbs, unsure of how to answer. He didn't want anybody to get in trouble because of him. "Who took you to school yesterday?" Gibbs asked, trying a different approach.

"Her taked me," Noah said.

"Her," Gibbs repeated, "your new foster mom?" Noah nodded. "Okay, who took you to school today?"

"Her's daughter," Noah said after a moment of hesitation, "'cept her say I is a embarrassment so her leave me somewhere and tell me to walk to school. I tried to 'member the way."

"Okay," Gibbs said happy to finally be getting somewhere. "Are your little legs tired? Did you walk a long way?"

Noah nodded his head and absently rubbed his legs. Gibbs lifted him off the ground, removed his backpack from his back then settled him on his hip and let the little boy rest his head on his shoulder. It was pushing 9:00. If the daughter had dropped him off somewhere on her way to school that meant Noah had been wandering around for at least an hour.

"I'll take him," Gibbs told Officer Nolan. "Thanks for the call."

"No problem," the officer said before returning to his car.

"Do I have to go back with Mom now?" Noah asked remembering what Officer Nolan had said.

"No Kiddo," Gibbs answered. "Mom is in a little bit of trouble. You don't have to go back there."

"Is her in trouble 'cause of me?" Noah asked lifting his head off Gibbs' shoulder.

"No Buddy," Gibbs said, "you didn't do anything wrong." He stood Noah next to his car and opened the back door for him. After making sure the little boy was buckled, he climbed in the front seat and headed out, his mind full of questions.

As Gibbs navigated the streets of DC he watched Noah's eyes drooping closed in his rear view mirror. He wondered what the last several days had been like for the little boy. Why was he so exhausted that he was falling asleep at 9:00 on a Wednesday morning? Why was he wandering the streets by himself, miles away from where his school was?

It had been two days since Gibbs had met with D'Arcy and arranged to take Noah for part of Saturday but at this point he was ready to insist Noah stay with him until he got some answers. He peeked into his rear view mirror again and saw Noah had given in to sleep with his hair blowing in the breeze coming through the open car windows and his thumb tucked into his mouth. Was the boy reverting? Gibbs hadn't noticed any thumb sucking when he'd cared for the boy. Maybe he was over thinking things but his gut was screaming at him and anybody who knew Gibbs, knew his gut was nothing to be ignored.

He parked the Dodge Charger in front of Child Services, rolled the car windows up and turned the engine off. He got Noah out of the backseat and let the little boy get settled on his shoulder then made his way through the same maze of hallways as he had earlier that week. When he got to D'Arcy's office he was disappointed to find her out. He went into the office next door and found one of her coworkers.

"Special Agent Gibbs," he said quietly, "I'm here to see D'Arcy McKinna."

"She just stepped out to make a few copies," the woman said. "She should be back in a few minutes. You can wait in her office if you'd like."

"Thank you," Gibbs said with a friendly nod of his head. He headed into D'Arcy's office and sat down in the chair in the corner. He rotated Noah so he was lying in his lap with his head cuddled into his chest and stroked the little boy's hair while he watched him sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** With this website acting so screwy over the past several days I may have missed thanking some of you personally for your reviews. If I did I apologize and please know that I really do appreciate you taking the time to drop me a line as well as everyone else who has read, favorite and alerted! Thank you all!

Also, my stories will not be used as a venue for anonymous reviewers to post hateful messages that bully other authors. Your review has been deleted and your message has been disregarded. Your time would be better spent encouraging those you do like. Spread love, not hate.

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

D'Arcy whistled a happy tune as she made her way through the halls and open office areas. She exchanged smiles and waves with several of her coworkers as she passed by their desks. It had been a pretty good week so far. Her job was always difficult but she hadn't had any particularly difficult cases in the last few days. On her way back to her office, she mentally went over the list of things she had to accomplish that day. She wasn't expecting any visitors and was surprised to find Gibbs back so soon after his visit earlier that week and even more surprised to find Noah with him.

"Agent Gibbs?" she asked putting a large stack of papers on her desk. "What's going on?"

"DC Metro found Noah wandering around a few miles from his school this morning," Gibbs explained. "They found my business card in his pocket so they called me."

"Oh my," D'Arcy said obviously alarmed. "Is he okay?" She moved over next to Gibbs and looked down at Noah, resting her hand on the little boy's chest.

"He's a little upset, thinks he's in trouble but he's not hurt," Gibbs said. He looked down and saw Noah's eyes opening. The little boy was a light sleeper and his deep voice always seemed to wake him. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Noah burrowed into Gibbs' chest, fisting his hand into the agent's polo shirt. He didn't know where he was or what was happening. All he knew was he didn't want Gibbs to ever put him down. The Marine turned Special Agent was the only person Noah had ever felt safe with. Gibbs held the little boy close to him, running his hand soothingly over his back and arm.

"Do you want to leave him here with me?" D'Arcy asked feeling like she'd let both Gibbs and Noah down. "I can guarantee I won't put him back in that house until we have some answers."

"Uh-uh," Gibbs said shaking his head. "I don't know what's going on over there or why he was walking around by himself this morning but my gut is churning. I don't want him out of my sight, D'Arcy," he said, surprising even himself with the protective admission. Sure he'd been thinking it but he hadn't meant to just blurt it out.

"Ok Agent Gibbs," D'Arcy said understandingly. "Are you wanting to care for him until we get to the bottom of things or were you thinking about something more permanent?"

Gibbs looked down at the child with his head buried in his chest and thought for a moment. Was this the best thing for Noah? Would the little boy be happy with him? Would Noah trust him after he let him go to another questionable home? He had the space and the money but that didn't automatically qualify someone to take in a child.

"That little boy adores you, Jethro," D'Arcy said quietly as she kneeled next to the two. "I've never seen him so relaxed with anyone."

"Not even at his new house?" Gibbs asked.

D'Arcy shook her head as she looked at Noah. "He was having a difficult time bonding with Bob and Leslie and their other two foster children. I thought he just needed some time after everything he'd been through but after the events of the morning I'm not so sure."

"I just want to do what's best for him," Gibbs said. "I don't want to be selfish."

D'Arcy laughed softly at that statement. "Agent Gibbs, you are one of the least selfish people I know," she said. "Why don't we ask Noah what he wants?" At Gibbs nod, D'Arcy turned her attention to the four year old still wrapped in Gibbs' arms. "Noah, how would you like to go home with Agent Gibbs?"

"For how long?" Noah asked his voice muffled in Gibbs' shirt.

"Well, until you grow up and you're old enough to live all by yourself," D'Arcy said.

"I be'd a bad boy," Noah said sadly. "I don't think him will want me."

"I bet he will," D'Arcy said warmly, "but you have a look for yourself and tell me what you think."

Noah peeked up at Gibbs and saw the agent smiling down at him. "You're not a bad boy, Noah," he said brushing a thick lock of the boy's blonde hair away from his eye.

Noah thought for a minute. "Will you give me another bath?" he asked cautiously.

Gibbs couldn't help but laugh at the question. The first time he'd given Noah a bath the little boy clawed his arms up pretty good. Gibbs didn't think he'd liked it. "I'll give you a bath every day if you want, Kiddo."

A hint of a smile played on Noah's face before he cuddled back into Gibbs' chest. Could it be? Would his hero really take him home forever and ever and take care of him and feed him and play with him and cuddle him and give him baths and read him stories and tuck him in every night? It was almost too good to be to true.

"I think that's a yes," D'Arcy said. "It's really up to you, Agent Gibbs. I don't want to pressure you. There are many homes out there and I can personally guarantee you I will find Noah a nice, happy home if you choose not to take him."

"The only pressure I feel now is living up to this kid's expectations," Gibbs said. "I would be more than happy to provide Noah with a home."

D'Arcy smiled at Gibbs as she rubbed Noah's arm. She explained both the foster parent and adoption options and promised to be there with them every step of the way to make the process as simple as possible. She gave Gibbs some paperwork to look over to help him make his decision and another one of her business cards. "Before you guys go, I need to try to figure out what happened this morning," D'Arcy said. "Noah, can you sit up and talk to me for a minute? You're not in trouble, Baby; I just need to ask you some questions."

"My legs are sleepy," Noah whined.

"You don't have to use your legs to talk, Silly," Gibbs said tickling the little boy's belly to get a laugh out of him.

Noah giggled as he planted his head in Gibbs' chest. "Stop," he whispered as he latched onto the agent's finger.

"I'll make you a deal," Gibbs said, "if you talk to Ms. D'Arcy for a little while then we'll go do something you want to do."

Noah looked up at Gibbs in disbelief. He got to pick what they were going to do? He couldn't believe it. He never got to do anything but go to school and he certainly never got to choose an activity. He didn't have a clue where to start.

"Do we have a deal?" Gibbs asked. Noah looked up at Gibbs and nodded his head. The agent sat the four year old up and turned him around on his lap so he was facing D'Arcy.

"Okay Noah," D'Arcy said grabbing a pen and notebook, "can you tell me about living with Bob and Leslie? Did you like it there?"

Noah started to squirm a little on Gibbs' lap. He fisted his hand into Gibbs' pant leg and looked around nervously. He really didn't want to tell Gibbs and D'Arcy about his new house because he didn't want to get in trouble.

"Noah, Baby, you can talk to us," D'Arcy prodded.

Noah hunched his shoulders and turned his gaze to his lap. "I be'd bad," he confessed.

"You know what, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "I don't think you were bad. I think somebody lied to you and told you that you were bad so that you would be afraid to say anything." He pulled the little boy back against his chest and wrapped his arms around him, trying to make him feel secure.

Noah snuggled into Gibbs' protective arms. He really didn't want to tell but he felt pressured. The whole situation was making him uncomfortable and his four year old mind was very confused.

"What about your foster sisters, Noah? Did you like them?" D'Arcy asked.

Noah took a deep breath then decided he had no other choice but to start talking. "I liked them but I don't know if them liked me. Them never let me play with them. Them say-ed 'no perverts allowed' and close a door on me. What's a pervert?"

"A pervert is not a very nice name to call someone," D'Arcy said. "You're not a pervert, Sweetheart. Can you tell me about Bob and Leslie?"

"Them let me live with them," Noah offered.

D'Arcy smiled at Noah's attempt to evade the question. "Did they ever get mad at you?" she asked knowing that was most likely the quickest way to find out if something inappropriate was going on in the household.

Noah's body started shaking with fear. Gibbs held him tighter and started rocking him gently. "My pee pee go-ed on the toilet seat and Leslie, her-her gotted mad. Her say-ed I has to go potty outside till I know how to do it right."

Gibbs kept his composure for the sake of the frightened child cowering in his lap but he was angry enough he could've killed with his bare hands.

"You're doing good, Noah," D'Arcy encouraged. "Can you tell me where you slept?"

"I sleeped under the bed 'cause I thinked that nobody can find me there but him pulled my leg out and say-ed 'hurry up or you will be late.'"

D'Arcy knew the 'him' was Bob. There were no other males in the house. Without her prompting Noah continued.

"Them were vegable-tarians. I telled them Gibbs haved my chicken nuggets but them say-ed I can't go there." He laid his head back against Gibbs' chest and looked up at the agent. "Do you still have my chicken nuggets?"

"They stayed in my fridge too long, Buddy," Gibbs said. "I had to throw them away or they would've made you sick when you ate them but as soon as we're done here we can go to KFC and get you some more, okay?"

"With Tony?" Noah asked remembering the special agent who drove him all over and got him whatever he asked for.

"Sure," Gibbs laughed. "I'll tell Tony to take you out and get you whatever you want again. Would you like that?" Noah smiled and shook his head happily. "First we have to finish answering Ms. D'Arcy's questions."

"Who did you play with when you lived with Bob and Leslie?" D'Arcy asked.

"I played with Sadie!" Noah said excitedly. He loved that dog and wanted to tell them all about her. "Her played catch with hers ball and her sleeped under the bed with me and her licked my face when I was sad." Gibbs and D'Arcy quickly figured out Noah was talking about a dog as he rattled on. "Leslie even letted me eat with Sadie. Her say-ed 'if you're gonna eat like a animal then I will put you where a animals eat,' and her putted my plate right next to Sadie's bowl! Me and Sadie shared our food. Sometimes her eated too much and I was still hungry but that's okay 'cause her was my friend."

D'Arcy gave Noah her best smile then glanced up at Gibbs. The agent was obviously furious but he was holding it together well. He leaned down and absently pressed a kiss to the child's head as he held him. "Did you have toys to play with, Noah?" D'Arcy continued.

"Sadie shared her toys with me," Noah said proudly, "and her let me play with her too!" He thought for a moment, knowing D'Arcy was expecting more. "Leslie letted me keep Qwert." Noah's eyes glazed over as a memory seemed to hit him.

"What is it, Noah?" D'Arcy prompted.

"Her frowed my surfer clothes away," Noah said sadly. "I telled her Gibbs getted them for me but her say-ed I can't keep them and frowed them in the garbage." Tears were building behind the little boy's eyes at the memory. He loved those clothes so much. He got to pick them out all by himself. He wanted to wear them every day but now they were gone.

Noah turned his head around and hid his face in Gibbs' chest as the tears overflowed. Gibbs turned him around and cuddled him, rubbing his back as he cried. "We had to take Noah's clothes for evidence so he and I went to the store and picked out some new clothes," Gibbs explained, "and when we're finished here, we're going to go back to the store so he can pick out some more new clothes."

"I want my surfer clothes back," Noah cried. Exhaustion and stress were clearly overwhelming the child and both Gibbs and D'Arcy decided he'd had enough for the day.

"We'll go back to the same store and get you some more surfer clothes if you that's what you want," Gibbs told him. He stood with Noah cuddled to his chest and gently bounced him as he walked around the office. The little boy's tears soon turned to yawns and his eyelids starting getting droopy.

"I'll be in touch," D'Arcy said. "If you have any questions or issues please let me know."

"Thank you," Gibbs said.

Noah rubbed his face into Gibbs' shirt, drying his tears then rested his head on the agent's shoulder. By the time Gibbs made it out to the car, the little boy was sleeping again. The agent's concern grew as he buckled the child in but he remembered the doctor telling him the iron deficiency would make him tired and he figured he hadn't gotten much sleep if he was hiding under the bed and worrying about who was going to do what to him.

He headed to the same store he and Noah had visited nearly two weeks prior and grabbed the same bright blue shirt with the picture of the surfer on it and the same white board shorts while Noah slept soundly on his shoulder. He would bring the little boy back after he had some rest and food and let him pick out some more new clothes but he hoped that would cheer Noah up when he woke.

After stopping at the store, Gibbs headed back to the Navy Yard. He carried Noah down to Abby's lab, knowing Jenny had meetings scheduled off and on all morning. He breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped off the elevator and found that for once, his forensic scientist didn't have her music blaring.

Abby gasped when Gibbs entered her lab with the sleeping child. "What is Noah doing back here?" she asked quietly as she spread out her futon so the little boy would have somewhere comfortable to sleep.

"Let's just say his new foster home isn't going to work out," Gibbs whispered as he laid Noah down. Abby retrieved her favorite, soft blanket and covered the little boy up then tucked Bert in next to him. Gibbs smirked at her then kissed her cheek. "Thanks Abs, call me when he wakes up."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"_Noah? Noah, where are you?" The voice didn't hide the evil intent behind it. Noah knew if he didn't hide something bad, something really bad was going to happen to him. "Noah, come to Mommy."_

_As quickly and as quietly as he could, the little boy tiptoed over to the bed and dove underneath. After scooting all the way back against the wall he rubbed at the fresh carpet burn on his chest. That was going to hurt for awhile and it was a big one. _

"_Come on Chris," JP said as the door to the bedroom flew open, "let's just leave him. I came over here to mess around with you, not the kid."_

_Noah held his breath and watched the feet walk over to the closet door. The door was thrown open and a disappointed grunt followed. As the feet came towards the bed, Noah's eyes grew wide. There was nowhere else for him to escape to. He could only hope his mother wouldn't bend down and look under the bed. _

_The blanket from on top of the bed landed on the floor. Noah didn't know why his mother would look under the blanket. He wasn't allowed to sleep on top of the bed, only under it. He heard the zipper of JP's pants being undone and closed his eyes tight. _

"_Look what's waiting for you, Chris," the man said. "It's all yours, Baby, just forget about the kid."_

_The blanket on the floor was kicked out of the way and Christina dropped to the floor in front of the bed. "Ha! Gotcha!"_

_Noah let out an ear piercing scream as his mother grabbed onto his ankle and yanked him out from under the bed._

Abby watched as Noah tossed and turned on the futon in her lab. He twisted his little body around then sat straight up on full alert. His eyes were open but they were glazed over. It was clear he was still sleeping. She contemplated trying to wake him but before she could he laid back down on the opposite end of the bed. His body seemed to still for a moment and just as Abby let herself relax, his scream filled the air.

The Forensic Scientist was at Noah's side in an instant. "Noah, wake up," she said rubbing his shoulder.

Noah grabbed onto Abby's hand thinking it was his mother and held it out away from him so she couldn't hurt him. He could hear a kind voice calling his name but he couldn't find it. As he was pulled out from under the bed he could see how big JP's erection was and there was no doubt in his mind what was getting ready to happen.

Abby lifted the little boy into her arms and hugged him tight. He seemed to be stuck in his nightmare but she hoped just by holding him, it might help him not to be so scared. Noah pushed and shoved against her, trying to escape.

"Noah, wake up. It's me, Abby. You're having a bad dream." Abby felt her arm that was under the little boy's butt get warm and wet. Whatever was going on inside his head was terrifying him.

Noah fought harder. He could hear Abby calling out to him but he couldn't find her. He had to get away from his mother so he could go find Abby. Then he felt a kiss on the top of his head and a loving hand run down the side of his face. That wasn't his mother; his mother never touched him gently. He stopped pushing, stopped fighting against the arms that had him trapped.

"Wake up, Noah," Abby encouraged. "Wake up and look at Auntie Abby."

Noah reached his hand out towards the voice. He felt out of breath. He wanted Gibbs to wrap him in a strong, safe embrace and protect him from his evil mother. Abby would know where to find him but where was Abby?

"Open your eyes, Noah," Abby said once he seemed to have calmed down. Noah opened his eyes and looked up at Abby. It took a couple seconds for her face to come into focus. Sweat had plastered the little boy's hair to head. His face was a dark shade of red, his baby blue eyes were empty. He buried his head in Abby's chest, not wanting to look around and see his mother or JP. Abby grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around him as she held him close to her. Noah reached up and pulled the blanket over his head. He felt safe again. Nobody could see him anymore.

"Let's go find Gibbs," Abby said as she ran her hand over his back. That was music to Noah's ears.

Gibbs was in the middle of what looked like a very important phone conversation when Abby and Noah made it to the bullpen. Noah's arms were wrapped around Abby's neck and his legs were wrapped around her waist. The little boy was holding onto her for dear life, still hiding beneath the blanket Abby had loaned him.

"_He needs you,"_ Abby signed.

"Mike, I have to go," Gibbs said staring at Abby and Noah, "but I'll uh, I'll see what I can do." He hung up the phone then walked around to the front of his desk and lifted the blanket away from Noah's face. Noah quickly rolled his head to the other side and buried it under the blanket again. "What happened?" Gibbs asked as he covered Noah's head the rest of the way, knowing it made him feel safe.

"He had a really bad nightmare," Abby said. "I had a hard time waking him up."

"Noah, it's just me," Gibbs said resting his hands on the boy's back. Noah flinched at Gibbs' touch. He peeked out at the agent and gladly transferred into his arms. "Did you have a bad dream, Bud?"

Noah nodded his head then nuzzled into Gibbs' neck. Strong arms holding him, a familiar scent in the air, a gentle voice speaking to him; he'd made it to safety.

"I'm pretty sure he wet his pants," Abby said. The little boy's heart sank at the words. He was sure Gibbs would be angry and push him away. He was just a dirty, messy little boy that nobody could put up with for more than a day or two.

"That's okay," Gibbs said, "I've got a change of clothes for him right here."

Noah unburied his head from Gibbs' neck and peeked over to see what the agent was pulling out of the plastic bag. He couldn't believe his eyes. "My surfer clothes," he whispered, "you finded them."

"What do you say we go get you changed?" Gibbs said. "Thanks Abs." He took Noah into the men's bathroom and stood him on the floor in front of him.

Noah glanced around the room, searching and listening for anybody else that might be in there with them. "Where's Mom?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"Mom is in jail, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "She can't ever hurt you again. Can you take your shirt off for me?" Noah was so preoccupied with trying to figure out where his mother was that he couldn't focus on changing his clothes. He didn't really understand what jail was or how long grown-ups had to stay there or anything like that. Gibbs had explained it to his as 'big person timeout' but he only had to sit in time out for a little while, never over night.

"Do you want to tell me about your dream?" Gibbs asked as he pulled Noah's shirt over his head. The bruises and welts had faded quite a bit over the past several days. There were still a few bruises painting small areas of the little boy's chest and back a rainbow of colors and a few sores remaining but many of the signs of his physical abuse had faded.

"D-do I h-have to?" Noah asked nervously.

"No," Gibbs said helping Noah get his arms in the bright blue shirt he loved so much, "but it might help you to feel a little better."

Noah looked into Gibbs' eyes, unsure of what to say or do. Was Gibbs really giving him the choice? Would he be mad if he didn't tell? Would his mom get in trouble if he did tell? Would telling really help him feel better? What would happen to him when his mom got out of jail? Noah decided he better not risk it.

"I don't-don't want to-want to t-talk ab-about it," he stuttered. He'd never told an adult 'no' before. How was Gibbs going to react?

"That's okay," Gibbs said with a smile. He unfastened and unzipped the wet jeans the boy was wearing and helped him get them off. Noah instinctively moved his hand over to cover himself up. "I'm not going to hurt you, Noah, but we've got to take your underwear off too since they're wet."

Noah nodded that he understood and let Gibbs remove the urine soaked garment. "I think I need to potty."

"Well, now's the time to do it," Gibbs said. Noah was heading for the exit to the bathroom when Gibbs stopped him. "Where are you going, Kiddo? I thought you had to go potty?"

"I do," Noah said. "I have to potty outside."

"Not anymore," Gibbs said as he led Noah towards one of the stalls, "we're going to go right in here."

Noah stiffened his body and tried to stop Gibbs from moving him any father into the stall. "No," he said in a panic, "no, no I-I can't." He pushed back against Gibbs but the Marine was too strong for him. "I will get in trouble!" he said, pleading with Gibbs not to make him go in there.

"You're not going to get in trouble, Buddy," Gibbs promised him.

Noah started squirming and wiggling around. He wasn't going to be able to hold it much longer but he knew better than to go in the toilet. "Please," he begged.

Gibbs lifted the toilet seat then stood directly behind him so Noah couldn't back out of the stall. "Relax, Noah, it's okay."

"I have to potty!" Noah wailed as he held himself and squirmed.

"Alright, go ahead and go," Gibbs encouraged. Noah was still squirming and pushing back against Gibbs, unwilling to relent and use the toilet for fear of getting into trouble. "Let's try this," Gibbs said ripping off a square of toilet paper. He tossed it into the toilet and pointed at it, "aim your little weapon in there and let's see if you can hit the toilet paper."

Noah felt like he was going to explode. With his back still pressed firmly against Gibbs' legs a little dribble escaped. "Relax," Gibbs encouraged resting his hand on the child's head. Noah finally gave up the fight and let himself go, aiming for toilet paper as Gibbs had instructed, groaning unhappily the whole time. When he was done, he inspected the toilet seat very carefully to make sure he didn't dribble.

"Come here, Noah," Gibbs said backing them both out of the stall and kneeling down to his level. "Try to calm down, everybody dribbles sometimes. I dribble sometimes. It's not really a big deal. We just wipe it up and that's it." He held out the white board shorts and let Noah hold onto his shoulder as he stepped into them.

"Don't tell Leslie I used a potty," Noah said, obviously still very nervous over what he'd just done, "her will be mad at me."

Gibbs fastened the Velcro on the shorts then pulled Noah into a hug. "You never have to see Leslie again, Buddy, so try not to worry about it." Noah took a deep, calming breath then seemed to let himself relax slightly. "Let's wash our hands then I'm going to send you and Tony out to pick up some lunch for everybody. Can you help with that?"

"I'll try," Noah said quietly.

"You're going to do great," Gibbs said kissing the little boy's temple before letting him go.

Gibbs bagged up Noah's wet clothes then they washed their hands and headed back out to the bullpen. It was pushing 1:00 and he knew his team was hungry and just waiting for his permission to take their lunch break. "DiNozzo, you and Noah are on lunch duty today," he said.

Tony cheerfully popped out of his seat. "Same as last time?" he asked. "Anything he wants?"

Gibbs nodded then knelt in front of Noah. "You keep an eye on Tony for me," he said in an attempt to relax the four year old. Noah nodded his head, taking his task very seriously. He didn't want to let Gibbs down.

"Come on, Tater," Tony said offering his hand to the little boy. Noah held onto Tony's hand and the two headed for the elevator.

After Tony and Noah left on the lunch run, Gibbs headed up to Jenny's office. He felt like he needed someone to talk to and she was the one he trusted most to confide in about his current situation. Cynthia wasn't at her desk when he arrived, not that he ever asked permission to enter the office anyways. He found Jenny sitting at her desk reading a magazine and eating a salad.

"Jethro, what's going on?" she asked, looking up from her lunch. Gibbs sat down in front of her desk and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Something on your mind?"

"It's Noah," Gibbs said. "Metro PD found him wandering around by himself this morning, trying to get to school."

"Oh my gosh," Jenny said as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah," Gibbs said reclining back in his seat slightly, "no. Not really."

Jenny closed her magazine and laid it aside then threw away her nearly empty salad container. Gibbs needed her and she would give him her undivided attention. She waited for him to continue on, knowing he would when he was ready.

"I let him down, Jen," he said after taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "I told him he was going to get to go to a happy house where he could play and have fun and make friends but he ended up somewhere just as bad as his mother's place." He looked up into Jenny's bright green eyes. "He's worse now than when I sent him away."

"Don't blame yourself, Jethro," Jenny said gently. "The failures of Child Services are not your responsibility. One person can't do it all, not even you. We have to trust others to do their jobs." Gibbs knew she was right but that didn't make him feel any less guilty. He knew how fragile Noah was when he'd sent him away. He couldn't help but feel there was more he could've done.

"Where is he now?" Jenny asked.

"He's here," Gibbs said, "he's out with DiNozzo on a lunch run."

"What are you going to do?" Jenny asked, not surprised in the least that Gibbs had Noah with him.

"Fix it," Gibbs said simply, "somehow."

Jenny smiled patiently at Gibbs. His personality was to fix something if it was broken, whether it be an old piece of furniture or a hurting child. She knew he wouldn't give up until the problem was solved. "Just remember, not all problems have simple solutions," she said with a friendly smile. "I think just by being there for Noah, you're going to be doing a lot more than anyone else has ever done for him in his life but all the underlying abuse is going to take time. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen on your schedule."

"I know," Gibbs said, thankful for the pep talk. "Mike called. He's getting ready to reshingle his roof before tropical rain season comes."

"Is he wanting your help?" Jenny asked.

"He didn't ask for it," Gibbs said, "but maybe. I was thinking about taking Noah down just so he could get away from everything that's happened here in the past couple weeks."

"I think that might be a good idea," Jenny said. "I think you could both use some time away."

* * *

><p>D'Arcy drove towards the McKinley residence, mentally beating herself up the entire way. She'd messed up and in her job there was no room for mistakes. The wellbeing of many children depended on her perfection. She wasn't feeling sorry for herself by any means; she was angry at herself for failing Noah. She was feeling sorry for the precious four year old child who'd been let down once again. With him safely in Gibbs' care, she had to go remove Brianna and Andrea from the home as well. She'd checked on the girls multiple times since they'd been placed there and both were always happy and well cared for but after what happened to Noah she could not allow any foster children to remain in that house. She followed the bus down the neighborhood street and parked in front of the house.<p>

"Mrs. McKinna!" Brianna greeted with a happy smile and big hug. The sixth grader waved goodbye to her friends as the bus continued on down the street then walked with D'Arcy towards the house. "You were just here two weeks ago to drop the new boy off. Why are you back so soon?" she questioned.

"I've found a new home for you and Andrea to live in," D'Arcy answered, not even hinting there was a problem.

"No, why? I-I like it here. I don't wanna go," Brianna protested. "I don't wanna leave."

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart," D'Arcy said wrapping her arm around Brianna's shoulders. "It's time."

Brianna rested her head on D'Arcy's shoulder as they continued towards the house. "Is this because of what they did to Noah?" she whispered. "I don't think they like boys."

D'Arcy kissed the top of Brianna's head and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I have to do what's best for you, Baby. I have to make sure you're safe." Brianna nodded her understanding as the two entered the house. "Can you go pack for me, while I talk to Bob and Leslie?"

"Okay," Brianna said as she started up the stairs. "Ms. McKinna, want me to bring you Noah's turtle? He'll be crushed if he loses it."

"Thank you, Baby," D'Arcy said as she nodded her head.

After Brianna disappeared up the stairs, D'Arcy followed the angry voices and found Andrea sitting at the dining room table with Bob while Leslie paced around screaming at her foster daughter. "I can't believe you lost him! How could you have been so stupid? I gave you one simple task, Andrea, and you couldn't even handle that." She stopped her tirade when she saw D'Arcy appear in the doorway. "D'Arcy, uh, hi. What are you doing here?"

"I think you know why I'm here, Leslie," D'Arcy answered in as friendly a voice as she could muster. "Andrea, can you go pack your things for me please? It's time to go."

"No!" the seventeen year old objected. "I don't want to leave!"

"Andrea," D'Arcy's voice was firm but patient. She knew from past experience that the teenager would argue with her for as long as she would let her. "You need to go pack your things now. I need to chat with Bob and Leslie."

"I'm an adult," Andrea said, "you can't make me leave!"

"You're still seventeen, Honey, and in this state that means I'm still responsible for you."

Andrea let out a frustrated shriek and stomped her feet out of the room and all the way up the stairs. When D'Arcy heard the teenager slam her bedroom door, she turned to the adults sitting at the table. All the color had drained from Bob's face while Leslie's anger was clearly growing. "Would you guys care to tell me what's been going on around here?" she asked, keeping her tone eerily calm.

"This is all just a big misunderstanding," Bob explained. "We should've never asked Andrea to take Noah to school this morning. I had an early meeting at work and Leslie had a dentist appointment and we thought Andrea could handle it. It will not happen again."

"You don't have to take Andrea," Leslie said. "She was just being a teenager."

"I've heard some troubling reports recently," D'Arcy said.

Leslie's eyes grew wide with anger. "Where? Who've you been talking to?"

"The where's and the who's aren't important," D'Arcy explained calmly. "What is important is that I get to the bottom of what's going on over here. Can you tell me why there are only four chairs at the table when there are five people in your family?"

"Uh, we, I, uh, Bob, um… we've been eating in front of the TV ever since the boy came to us," Leslie said, stumbling over her words. "We haven't had a chance to get another chair yet."

"Mm-hmm," D'Arcy said as she scribbled something in her notebook, "so you don't make Noah sit in the corner and eat his dinner with the dog."

Leslie tried to respond but she was too shocked. Her mouth fell open and she looked to her husband for help. "I'm not sure where you heard that but it's not true," Bob said.

"And I suppose it's also not true that you make him use the restroom outside," D'Arcy said.

"Correct," Bob said quietly. "We would never do that." The man knew they were busted but he had no choice other than to sit there and lie.

"And sleeping under the bed?" D'Arcy continued.

"He did sleep under the bed," Bob admitted. "We were trying to break him of the habit but every night we'd put him in the bed and every morning we'd find him under the bed."

"Like many other children, Noah goes into hiding when he's scared," D'Arcy explained with just a hint of an attitude. "I wonder what he could've been scared of around here."

"He was just a troubled kid," Leslie said trying to sound convincing. "We were trying to help him but I don't think it's going to work out for him to stay here. Andrea and Brianna are fine though. We haven't had any issues with them."

"Mrs. McKinley, not only am I taking Noah out of your home but Brianna and Andrea will also be coming with me," D'Arcy started. "There is also a very good chance your foster care license will be revoked and to be honest, you guys will be lucky if you can stay out of jail."

"Jail?" Leslie screeched.

"Child abuse, neglect, endangerment," D'Arcy explained. "We'll be doing a full investigation. It might be a good time for the two of you to start looking for a lawyer."

Brianna appeared next to D'Arcy and handed her Noah's beloved baby sea turtle. "I found his blanket too," she said quietly. "He said the man gave it to him. I thought he might want it back."

"Thank you Sweetie," D'Arcy said. "Are you ready?"

Brianna nodded her head and glanced over at the people who had been her parents for the past two years. "Bye Bob. Bye Leslie," she said sadly. "Thanks for everything."

"We'll fight to get you back, Brianna," Leslie said as she hugged the girl. "We won't give up."

"Mrs. McKinley, don't make promises you can't keep," D'Arcy said. "These children have hard enough lives as it is."

By the time Andrea returned with her belongings she seemed indifferent about the move. She halfheartedly waved goodbye to the McKinley's then huffed out to D'Arcy's car, wondering why life was so unfair to her all the time.

* * *

><p>Noah had just enjoyed a long bath in a tub full of toys and extra bubbles. He had a dresser full of board shorts, both long and short sleeve t-shirts, a few pairs of long pants that Gibbs had insisted he get knowing the cooler weather would soon be there, socks and underwear and a few pairs of pajamas. His tummy was full from a nutritious, well rounded meal and Gibbs had promised him a bowl full of popcorn while they relaxed in front of the TV. The only thing missing was his friend. He'd had a minor meltdown when he realized Squirt was still at the McKinley's house but at Gibbs' promise to get him back, he let himself relax.<p>

Gibbs was in the kitchen popping popcorn with his new sidekick holding tightly to the hammer loop on his jeans when there was a knock at his front door. He looked down at Noah and smiled. He wasn't expecting any company but assumed it was just one of his team.

"You stay here and watch the popcorn, Buddy," he said. "I'll be right back." Noah nodded and watched Gibbs leave the kitchen then peeked into the microwave.

Gibbs rounded the corner into his entryway and saw D'Arcy standing on the other side of his door. He smiled as he let her in. "Hey D'Arcy, come on in."

D'Arcy entered with a weak smile. The woman looked like she'd just had it out with someone.

"Did you get the kids out?" Gibbs asked.

D'Arcy nodded her head. "It wasn't well received by either party but it's what was best for the kids."

"It takes a special person to do your job, D'Arcy," Gibbs said, hoping to offer the woman a little encouragement.

"It's all for the children," D'Arcy said. "Speaking of children, is Noah around? I've got something for him." She pulled Squirt out along with his fleece blanket.

"You're wonderful," Gibbs said. "We had a little meltdown over that earlier. Noah, come here, Buddy, there's someone here to see you."

Noah snuck into the living room then peeked out into the entryway, half wondering if it was time for him to leave again. He didn't really want to go to another new house, especially not so soon. D'Arcy saw the child peeking around the wall and revealed his pet turtle.

"Qwert!" Noah shouted as he hurried over, grabbed his stuffed animal and hugged it tightly to his chest.

"Ms. D'Arcy brought us your blanket too," Gibbs said as he draped it around the little boy's shoulder like a cape. "Is our popcorn done?"

"I dunno," Noah said fully focused on his turtle.

Gibbs smiled as he lifted Noah into his arms. "Would you like to join us for a movie, D'Arcy?"

"I wish I could," D'Arcy said, "but I have two kiddos to take to their new home so I will leave you guys here to enjoy your movie night."

"Thank you," Gibbs said. "You really made his night dropping that off."

D'Arcy nodded and smiled as she patted Noah's back. The little boy was totally focused on his turtle as he cuddled into Gibbs' chest. Gibbs saw D'Arcy out, locked the door and headed into the kitchen to grab the popcorn for their movie night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Jenny decided to take Gibbs' team off the rotation for Thursday and Friday. She knew between herself, Abby and Ducky, someone would be available to keep an eye on Noah if Gibbs had to go work a case but she wanted to give him an opportunity to bond with the four year old and also instill a sense of stability after the little boy had been bounced around from place to place and person to person over the past couple weeks. On top of that, Gibbs was leaving for Mexico that weekend and she knew if a case came along he'd be tempted to put off his vacation. It was nearly impossible to get him to take any time off and she didn't want him to have any excuse to stay.

The work day came to a close early on Friday. The stacks of overdue paperwork on the agents' desks were at an all time low so Gibbs rewarded them with a few extra hours tacked onto their weekend. He had a late afternoon appointment with D'Arcy and had arranged for Tony and Abby to take Noah to do some last minute shopping for their trip. The four year old was always very alert and a very perceptive child and Gibbs wanted the opportunity to speak to D'Arcy in private without worrying Noah about complicated adult matters.

Gibbs knelt on the floor in front of where Noah was standing looking at his feet. "Tony and Abby are going to take you shopping," he said. "I need you guys to pick out a beach towel for our trip and maybe a few things you can play with on the airplane so you don't get bored. After that, they'll bring you home and I'll be there waiting. Okay?"

Noah looked from Gibbs to Tony to Abby then back at Gibbs. "Kay," he said quietly. Gibbs wrapped his arms around the little boy, pulled him close and kissed the top of his head.

"Let's get out of here!" Tony said excitedly. He lifted Noah up and settled him on his shoulders. Noah weaved his fingers into Tony's hair making the agent wince. Abby wrapped her hand around Tony's arm and the three headed for the elevator.

The stores were swarming with their usual Friday afternoon crowd. It was one of the last few beautiful weekends before the cooler weather struck and people were rushing to have last minute barbeques and enjoy other outdoor activities. Shopping carts full of picnic items passed by as Tony, Abby and Noah headed for the snack aisle.

"Alright Buddy, what kind of snacks do you want for the plane?" Tony asked. "Go wild! Grab whatever you want."

Noah moved closer to Tony and wrapped his arm around the agent's leg. "I don't want nothing," he said quietly.

"Why not?" Tony asked as he knelt down to the little boy's level. Noah shrugged his shoulders and moved as close to Tony as he could. The crowd of people was a bit unnerving and intimidating. Tony lifted the little boy up and tried to interest him in chocolates, fruity candy, gummies, crackers, cookies and everything else on the snack aisle but he didn't want anything to do with it. Abby and Tony picked a few things and added them to the cart then headed to the toy section, hoping they'd have better luck.

Noah stared blankly at the toys while Tony and Abby pushed buttons, pulled strings, raced cars and bounced balls. "What's the matter, Little Guy?" Abby asked. "Aren't you excited to go on vacation? You're gonna love Grandpa Mike and he's going to love you too!" Noah looked at Abby but didn't respond.

"Are you tired?" Tony asked, trying to figure out why the little boy was so quiet and standoffish. When he still didn't get a response, he picked Noah up again, kissed the little boy's cheek and held him close while he and Abby searched the aisles for fun toys to keep him entertained on the plane.

* * *

><p>D'Arcy was still knee deep in paperwork when Gibbs arrived in her office late Friday afternoon. She was happy to see the agent walk through the door, regardless of the fact that she'd had to bend a few rules and do a little extra paperwork to allow Noah to stay with him. She knew the little boy would be both happy and safe there and she would've trusted Gibbs with her own children. The peace of mind of knowing Noah was safe for the first time in his young life was worth every extra piece of paper the move required.<p>

"Agent Gibbs," she greeted happily. "Glad you could make it. How are things going?"

"We're doing well," Gibbs said sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk. "Noah's still struggling but I'm not going to give up on him." He gave the child services worker one of his rare smiles.

"Have you made a decision?" D'Arcy asked.

"I have," Gibbs said getting comfortable in his chair. "I want to go ahead and adopt him. I thought over the fostering option but I really want this to be permanent and I want Noah to know it's permanent. I'm hoping that will provide some stability for him."

"I know you're going to provide a wonderful home for him," D'Arcy said. "Noah is lucky to have you."

Gibbs was wishing he had a fraction of D'Arcy's confidence. It had been a long time since he'd been a dad and back then he had Shannon to rely on. They were a team. In all honesty, he was scared to death he wouldn't know how to help Noah. "I wanted to talk to you about one more thing."

"Anything," D'Arcy said. "I hear you two are going on vacation."

"Yeah," Gibbs said. "We're flying out tomorrow. I've been trying to figure out what to do about his schooling. I'm not at all impressed with his teacher at Tyler Elementary; he's definitely not going back there. I'm just wondering if he's a little too young for school."

"Unfortunately we're seeing that more and more these days," D'Arcy said. "Parents are enrolling their kids in school as early as they can because of the high costs of child care. Noah's still four years old—"

"Right," Gibbs interrupted, "he'll be five in two weeks."

"So he would've just made the cutoff to be able to register for Kindergarten," D'Arcy said. "You can try to keep him in if you'd like. Get him a tutor, you can work with him at home and he could excel or he could end up struggling the whole year and every year after that. Your other option is to pull him from school and enroll him in a preschool program if you think he'd be better suited there or a babysitter or, you know, whatever arrangements you want to make for him."

Here it was—Gibbs' first big decision as a parent. There was no hard and fast rule spelling out what he needed to do. There was no Shannon to collaborate with. It was just him, making the best decision he could. He decided to go with a method he used often. It had rarely failed him before and he was counting on it again, his gut.

"I'm going to pull him," he said. "I think with everything else he's been through he needs some time to recover and start healing from that before I add school into the mix."

"I think that sounds like a good plan," D'Arcy said, "and anything I can do to help you guys, please, don't hesitate to give me a call."

"Thanks D'Arcy," Gibbs said as he stood. He left D'Arcy to return to her mountain of paperwork while he headed home to start dinner and pack for their trip the following day. He made the short drive back to Alexandria to wait for Tony, Abby and Noah in record time. On Friday evenings he usually had to compete with rush hour traffic but it was still a little early leaving the roads fairly clear and uncongested.

When he arrived home he headed upstairs, made a quick pit stop in the bathroom then headed into his room to change clothes. Clad in a pair of carpenter jeans and a black t-shirt that said Marines in proud white letters across the chest, he went down to the kitchen to put some chicken in to marinate for dinner. With Noah's iron deficiency, he was doing his best to make sure the little boy started getting well balanced meals, rich in iron and other nutrients that would help his body grow and develop.

He was washing his hands when he heard the front door open and footsteps coming towards him. He felt a little hand latch onto the hammer loop of his jeans and smiled. Among the few habits Noah was forming, holding onto the hammer loop of his carpenter pants was one of Gibbs' favorites. He enjoyed always having the little boy at his side because that meant he felt safe with him and that was Gibbs' goal, to provide a measure of safety and security that the little boy had never known before.

"Did you have fun with Uncle Tony and Aunt Abby?" he asked rubbing his very wet hand through Noah's hair. Noah smiled shyly as he tried to wipe the water off his head. Gibbs used the hand towel to dry his hands then rubbed it over Noah's hair to dry it.

"How'd you guys do?" he asked Tony and Abby as they entered. He hung the hand towel back on the stove then lifted Noah into his arms and kissed his temple.

"Noah didn't really seem too thrilled to be shopping but we picked out lots of cool stuff for him anyways," Abby said placing a few shopping bags on the table.

"You didn't feel like shopping today?" Gibbs asked. The little boy was sometimes painfully shy and it took some coaxing to get him to pick things out but the enjoyment could clearly be seen on his face as he carefully made his selections.

"I didn't want you to be mad at me," Noah said, his blue eyes meeting Gibbs'.

"I'm not going to be mad at you, Buddy," Gibbs assured him. "Remember? You and I are going on an adventure tomorrow and you needed a couple new things to take with us."

"We're going far away from the bad people and you is not leaving me," Noah whispered, repeating the reassurances Gibbs had been giving him throughout the last couple days.

"That's right," Gibbs said, "and who are we meeting?"

"Uh," Noah touched his finger to his lip, thinking really hard, "I don't 'member him's name."

"Grandpa Mike," Gibbs said with a smile. "Why don't you go get Squirt and you guys can play with your play-doh before dinner."

"Can Qwert come to the trip with us?" Noah asked. "Him telled me him is 'cared to stay by himself."

"Well we don't want Squirt to get scared, do we?" Gibbs asked. "I think Grandpa Mike might have enough extra room for him to come too." Noah smiled and seemed to relax some knowing he could bring his friend along. He took off to his room to find his turtle while Gibbs got the play-doh out.

"He's such a little sweetheart," Abby said.

"He's gonna be a real heartbreaker when he gets older," Tony added.

Gibbs set out the play-doh and when Noah returned with his sea turtle he helped him get settled at the table. Abby unpacked coloring books, a box of crayons, sticker pads, a few matchbox cars, a new pop-up book and a blue camouflage backpack for him to use as a carryon bag for the plane. Tony grabbed another bag and pulled out the large, fluffy beach towel he'd picked out for the four year old; bright blue with light blue outlines of large tropical flowers and even larger white outlines of sea turtles.

"We also got some snacks for the plane since you have to pay for everything they serve you in-flight now," Abby said. "You'll have to buy drinks 'cause you can't take liquid through the security checkpoints but we got some fruit snacks, granola bars and candy and we got some jerky for you."

Gibbs saw the forlorn look on Abby's face and pulled her into a hug. "We're only going to be gone a week, Abs," he said. "I need to get Noah out of here for a little while."

"I know," Abby sighed. "I know you need a break too, I'm just going to miss you."

"We'll be back before you know it," Gibbs said placing a kiss on her cheek.

* * *

><p>The excitement that surrounds most children right before a big trip seemed to elude Noah. He'd spent most of the night wide awake, wondering what the vacation was going to be like. What was it like to fly in a big plane? Where would they stay? What would they do while they were there? Would Grandpa Mike like him? Would he try to hurt him? What would he eat? Where would he sleep? His little mind was plagued with far too many questions to rest.<p>

He glanced over at the clock next to his bed but couldn't read the numbers and he knew that even if he could, he wouldn't know what they meant. He'd been lying there for a long time. He wondered if Gibbs had forgotten about him and already left. After much contemplation he decided to get up and go check. He slipped out of bed as quietly as he could then laid his baby turtle down on his pillow.

"You stay here, Qwert," he whispered. "I promise I will come back for you."

Noah covered the stuffed animal up with his blue fleece blanket then crept out into the hallway. It was so dark he could barely see where he was going but that didn't scare him too much. He was used to the dark. He liked the quiet and stillness of night. That's when his mother and JP stopped yelling at each other and screaming at him because they were almost always passed out.

Once his eyes adjusted he carefully tiptoed down the hall to Gibbs' room. As morning dawned, there was just enough light coming through the agent's bedroom window that he could see Gibbs lying on his stomach in his bed. Noah relaxed a little when he realized he hadn't been forgotten or left to fend for himself. He was just getting ready to go back to his own room again when the alarm clock went off. The loud noise startled Noah so bad he screamed and instantly dropped to the floor in the fetal position.

Gibbs quickly turned off the alarm clock a little unsure of what exactly had happened. He lifted Noah's shaking body into his arms and rubbed the little boy's back, trying to calm him down. "It's okay, Kiddo," he said. "That was just the alarm clock." He finally managed to uncurl the boy from the tight ball he was in and hugged him to his chest. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I thinked you leaved without me," Noah said with a trembling voice. "I didn't mean to make a noise go on."

"You didn't make the noise come on, Buddy," Gibbs said. "I turned the alarm clock on last night so I could make sure we got to the airport on time and I would never leave you anywhere. You're my responsibility now. That means I have to take care of you."

Noah relaxed slightly as his body started to calm down. He still wasn't used to being loved and cuddled and although he enjoyed it and trusted Gibbs, he couldn't help but wonder when the agent would realize he was just an obnoxious little brat and stop loving him just like everybody else.

Gibbs kissed the little boy on the forehead and knew they had to start getting ready or they would miss their plane. "Can you go get dressed for me and then make sure you and Squirt have everything you want to bring on the trip? I'm going to get a quick shower then we've got to get going."

"Kay," Noah said.

Gibbs stood the little boy on the floor and watched him walk out of the room and head down the hall then hurried into his bathroom to start getting ready.

* * *

><p>Noah sat nervously in his seat on the airplane, clutching Squirt tightly and looking around as Gibbs fastened his seatbelt. The two were sitting on the left hand side of the plane, Noah by the window and Gibbs in the aisle seat. The first leg of their trip was a short two hour flight to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Gibbs hoped that would set the tone for their longer flight down to Mexico. Noah had never been on a plane before and it was clear he was nervous. After the flight attendant came through and made sure everyone and everything was settled, the plane doors were closed and they were on their way.<p>

"Are you ready?" Gibbs asked with a smile.

Noah looked at him, unsure how to answer. He grabbed onto Gibbs' hand as the plane taxied through the maze of airport paths. He watched the other planes out the window as the anticipation built inside him. "It's loud," he said.

"There is kind of a lot of noise," Gibbs said pulling out a piece of gum for himself and one for Noah. "Chew on this, it'll help your ears." He unwrapped one of the pieces of gum and handed it to Noah then popped the other one in his mouth. The plane turned one final corner and slowed to a stop. "Here we go," Gibbs told Noah with an encouraging smile.

Noah closed his eyes tight and braced himself, squeezing Gibbs' hand for dear life. The plane raced down the runway and was soon lifting off the ground. The little boy opened his eyes and peeked out his window. He couldn't believe it, they were actually flying in the air. He watched as the cars and houses got smaller and smaller and the white, fluffy clouds got bigger and bigger. "We is flying like a bird!" he told Gibbs excitedly.

"We are," Gibbs said happily. He wasn't sure how the boy would react to being on the plane and was relieved to find he was excited rather than sick or scared.

Noah spent the entire time they were in the air looking out the window, watching the people around him and watching the flight attendants travel the aisles and pass out drinks and breakfast cookies. He was really tired after not getting much sleep the night before but he didn't want to miss anything that was happening and he most certainly didn't want to get left on the plane if he was still asleep when they landed so he stayed up.

The landing was just as exciting as the takeoff when they finally arrived in Chicago. After they got off the plane, they had just enough time to use the bathroom, grab something to eat then get ready to board their next flight. Gibbs carried Noah through the busy airport, not wanting to risk losing him and knowing they had to move quickly with only having an hour long layover.

Once they made it onto their next flight headed for the Baja peninsula, Gibbs tried to persuade Noah to take a nap but the little boy seemed adamantly against the idea. He finally figured out Noah was terrified of being left behind and assured him that wasn't going to happen. He pulled Noah into his lap facing towards him and reclined the seat, letting the little boy lay on his chest so he knew there was no way Gibbs could get off the plane without him. He covered Noah with his fleece blanket then rested his head against the seat and closed his eyes. It didn't take long before they were both sleeping.

Punta San Carlos Airstrip was a small dirt airstrip located not far from Mike's beach house in El Rosario, Mexico. The thought of flying into the small airport could be intimidating but Gibbs had been through there enough times he'd gotten used it. He knew the challenge would come in finding a ride down the coast. He wasn't too worried, knowing he could call Mike to come get them if needed but many of the locals knew him as Mike's friend and would gladly give them a ride in exchange for a few dollars. After they landed, he got Noah and collected their luggage from the tiny airplane then set off into the village. It wasn't long before he came across a familiar face.

"Arturo," he greeted. "Hola, como estas?"

The older man smiled at Gibbs, revealing a mouth full of missing teeth. His long, gray hair was tied into a pony tail and topped off with a straw hat. He waved at Gibbs, recognizing him immediately. They didn't get many out of town visitors and Gibbs was well known. "Bien," he answered, "necesitas que te lleve?"

"Si," Gibbs answered. "We need a ride." He put their luggage in the back of the man's truck, lifted Noah in then climbed back there himself. He enjoyed being able to ride in the bed of the pick-up with the warm breeze blowing in his face and the fresh smell of the tropical ocean air. Noah watched with wide eyes as they drove along the beautiful Baja coast, anxiously waiting to see where they were going.

Arturo pulled his truck onto the shoulder of the road by a long dirt pathway. Gibbs climbed out of the truck, lifted Noah out and grabbed their luggage. He pulled a small wad of cash out of his pocket, knowing it was the equivalent of a small fortune in Mexico and handed it to their driver. "Muchas gracias, mi Amigo," he said.

"Gracias," Arturo said pocketing the cash. As their driver turned his truck around, Gibbs helped Noah get his backpack on, shouldered his own backpack, slung the large duffel bag over his shoulder then took Noah's hand and the two headed down the dirt road.

Mike was just getting up from his hammock to grab a cold beer when he spotted his guests coming down the path. A smile came across his face as he watched Gibbs, shouldering the burden of their load, lead the four year old towards the house. "Probie," he called with a smile, "you made it!"

Gibbs nodded as he put their luggage on the porch then lifted Noah into his arms. "Mike, this is Noah. Noah, this is Grandpa Mike."

"Hey Little Guy," Mike said offering the child his hand. Noah raised his shoulders defensively before turning and burying his head in Gibbs' chest. "This the kid you were tellin' me about?" Mike asked.

Gibbs nodded as he rubbed Noah's head. "We needed to get away for awhile, thought you might like some company."

"Always room for you here, Jethro," Mike said heading towards the house. "You want a beer?"

"Nah," Gibbs called. "Do you want to play on the beach for a little while?" Noah shook his head and cuddled into Gibbs. He didn't want to let the agent out of his sight. "What if we play together?" Gibbs suggested sensing Noah was uneasy in another new environment.

Gibbs carried Noah inside and dropped their bags off in the spare bedroom then retrieved a couple plastic cups from Mike's cupboard. Mike had no sand toys but they could be creative. Noah had spent the first four years of his life with just about nothing. He was a child that didn't require many earthly possessions to make him happy. Gibbs knew the boy would be spoiled rotten by everyone on his team but for the most part he was just happy to feel safe and loved.

Gibbs spent the afternoon building sandcastles and digging moats, writing letters and numbers and drawing pictures in the sand, collecting seashells and letting the incoming tide wash over their feet as they walked along the beach. Noah's eyes were wide, taking in the new, simplified version of the world around him, experiencing everything for the first time. Not only was he safe from the monsters that lurked in the world he'd left behind earlier that morning, he was exploring all the fun things the beach had to offer.

With Gibbs' help he spotted a few dolphins off in the distance, he watched the waves his beloved surfers rode, he picked through an endless number of seashells and sea glass that Gibbs said he could take home, he squeezed the white sand between his fingers and toes, he built and destroyed sandcastles and rivers and he transported water from the Pacific Ocean to the beach using the cups. Despite not having slept the night before, the four hour nap on the plane trip over seemed to have given him enough energy to last the through the afternoon.

Mike fired up the grill and made hamburgers for dinner. There were no hamburger buns but the loaf of bread worked just fine for the three of them. By the time they'd eaten and gotten dinner cleaned up, the sun was starting to set and Noah was struggling to keep his eyes open. Gibbs changed him into his pajamas, grabbed Squirt then the two headed out and sat down in the rocking chair next to Mike on the front porch. It didn't take much of Gibbs rocking the worn out little boy before he fell asleep. Gibbs continued rocking him, enjoying a comfortable silence with Mike as they watched the colors of the brightly painted sky fade as the sun disappeared below the horizon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Tony, Ziva, Tim and Abby entered Gibbs' house using the house key Gibbs had given to Abby long ago. Tony dropped the box of donuts on the dining room table then let his jacket fall sloppily over one of the chairs. The warmth of the summer sun could still be felt during the daytime but nighttime and early mornings required a jacket. Tim and Abby took a load of supplies upstairs then joined Tony and Ziva in the dining room for coffee and donuts.

It was a quiet Sunday morning. None of the group would've even been out of bed yet if it weren't for little Noah. The team had quickly grown attached to the child and wanted to do something special for him while he was away so Abby had come up with a plan to decorate his room. They'd spent the second half of their Saturday requisitioning supplies and were hoping by getting an early start on Sunday, they could get all the painting done.

After breakfast, the group headed upstairs. They moved all the furniture out into the hallway so they'd have room to move around without being on top of each other. Tony, Ziva and Tim each got to work painting a wall the light sandy tan color they'd picked out the day before while Abby created a mural that would cover the fourth wall. It was easy to see how much Noah loved surfing so she'd decided on a colorful picture of a surfer riding a large wave.

Tony, Ziva and Tim finished their first coat of paint by early afternoon. Abby had finished drawing out her image and started painting it when they decided to take a lunch break. Everyone had their own ideas about where to go for lunch but they all managed to agree on Chinese food. They headed for a newer restaurant not too far from Gibbs' house to escape the fumes while they filled their stomachs.

After a drawn out lunch they returned to the house to find their first coat of paint dry thanks the nice breeze coming in the open bedroom window. Tony, Ziva and Tim got started on their second of paint and Abby continued on her mural, none of them complaining about sacrificing part of their weekend for the benefit of the four year old who'd joined their tight knit family.

* * *

><p>Gibbs and Mike decided to take Noah out on the boat on Sunday afternoon. He'd had Saturday afternoon to settle in and now it was time to go exploring and have some fun on the water. Gibbs enjoyed going out on the boat as much as he enjoyed building them in his basement. He threw some drinks, hot dogs, mustard and ketchup in a cooler, grabbed a bag of potato chips and buns, a beach towel for himself and Noah and a lifejacket for Noah then they were off.<p>

Noah stood next to Gibbs with his hand fisted in the older man's swimming shorts, looking out at the ocean as they flew along in the water. Gibbs kept one hand on Noah's lifejacket, keeping the little boy upright during the bumpy ride, while the other hand guided the boat to a small cove not far from where Mike's beach house sat. The water in the cove was always warmer than it was in the open ocean and you could usually see bright colored tropical fish and coral through the crystal clear water. He chose a spot and dropped anchor then took Noah's hand and led him over to the side of the boat, stepping around Mike who was soaking up the sun as he relaxed in one of the chairs on deck.

"Don't throw me in!" Noah pleaded, squeezing Gibbs' hand tightly.

"I'm not going to throw you in, Bud," Gibbs said. "I wouldn't do that to you." He looked over the side of the boat until he spotted a school of fish. "Look Noah," he said as he pointed towards it. "Do you see the fish? Look in the water."

With a firm grip on Gibbs' hand, the little boy moved in front of the man and looked in the direction he was pointing. "A fishy!" he said excitedly. He looked harder and got even more excited. "A lot of fishies! I see 'em! I see 'em!"

Gibbs smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. While Noah watched the fish, Gibbs pulled his t-shirt over his head and climbed into the water. Noah turned his attention to Gibbs, watching intently, wondering what he was doing. The ocean was endless and the little boy had some concept of the fact that the water was deep. He couldn't imagine why Gibbs would want to get in.

"Alright Kiddo," Gibbs said, "do you want to come in the water with me?" Fear flashed across Noah's face. He looked at Gibbs as if he'd gone mad. He didn't even know how to swim! "It's okay," Gibbs assured him, almost as if he could read the little boy's mind. "You have your lifejacket on so you won't go underwater and I'll be right here with you the whole time. Nothing's going to happen to you."

"Why don't you go in for a second, just to try it out," Mike suggested. "If you don't like it, I'll pull you up."

Noah stared down at Gibbs, keeping a firm grip on the side of the gently rocking boat. The man had never lied to him before, never done anything to hurt him; there was no reason not to trust him. Besides, he was in the water and he wasn't sinking. It did look like fun. "Okay," he nervously agreed.

"Atta boy!" Gibbs said with a smile. He knew if he could persuade Noah to get in the water, he'd enjoy it. "Grandpa Mike is going to hand you to me. Try not to be afraid, we won't drop you."

Noah nodded his head and steeled himself for the new adventure. He'd been through worse at the hands of his mother and JP, he could work through his fears in that moment. Besides, now he had Gibbs there to help him. His body was rigid when Mike picked him up. Noah resisted the urge to cling to Mike as he was lowered towards Gibbs. He twitched slightly when his bare toes hit the surface of the water but before he knew it he was safely in Gibbs' hands. He grabbed at Gibbs but there was nothing on the bare-chested man for him to hold onto. Gibbs wrapped his around the child and pulled him into his chest, letting Noah hold onto his hand. "You're okay," he assured him, "I've got you."

Noah calmed, knowing he was secure in Gibbs' arms. He trusted the agent more than he'd ever trusted anyone in his short life. Gibbs was the one person who'd never lied to him, never hurt him, never lost his temper with him and never done anything to scare him. The special agent had become the little boy's hero, in every sense of the word.

"It's warm," Noah said kicking his feet a little.

"Yep," Gibbs said wading around with Noah.

"Where did the fishies go?" Noah asked peeking into the water.

"They got scared and swam away," Gibbs answered.

"I will not hurted them," Noah said.

"I know you won't, Buddy," Gibbs said, "but they don't know that."

"Did somebody colored in the ocean?" Noah asked seeing the all the bright colors covering the ocean floor. "Did the fishies colored in the ocean?" He smiled up at Gibbs, forgetting his fears.

"That's coral," Gibbs said. "You know how people plant flowers in their yards?" Noah nodded. "Well, that's kind of like what coral is, plants that grow in the ocean."

"Wow," Noah said. "They is really pretty."

Gibbs smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of Noah's head, relieved to see he was relaxing and happily exploring his surroundings. He loved his little boy's curiosity. He taught Noah how to kick his feet and use his arms to move himself around then let him practice swimming short distances. Noah quickly figured out he wasn't going to go underwater as long as he had his life jacket on.

"I is just like a surfer!" Noah told Gibbs happily as he paddled around by himself.

"You sure are," Gibbs said. "You just need a surfboard."

"Does we has one?" Noah asked hopefully.

"Nope, no surfboard," Gibbs answered, "but maybe we can go into town and get you a boogie board."

"A boogie board," Noah giggled at the silly word. "What that is?"

"It's kind of like a practice surfboard," Gibbs answered. "It's a little bit smaller and you ride on it on your tummy instead of your feet."

"We can get one?" Noah asked in awe of the idea.

"We'll go tonight when we get home if it's not too late or first thing in the morning," Gibbs answered. Noah's smile lit up his face and made Gibbs smile as well. "Come here," Gibbs said, "I want to give you kisses."

Noah giggled as Gibbs swam the short distance to him. "I like your kisses," he said shyly. Gibbs wrapped his little boy in his arms and kissed his forehead and his cheek. He couldn't have been happier than he was in that moment.

After splashing around in the water for awhile, Gibbs handed Noah back to Mike then climbed back into the boat himself. He drove them along the coast, enjoying endless scenic views of the deserted part of the peninsula. When everybody started getting hungry, he dropped anchor once again and they pulled out the hot dogs and chips they'd packed. The peaceful, relaxing afternoon couldn't have gone more perfectly.

After dinner, Gibbs decided to teach Noah how to drive the boat. The four year old was frightened at first and didn't want to do it for fear of messing up but Gibbs persuaded him he'd do just fine. Once the panic subsided, a proud smile crossed Noah's face as he realized he was driving the boat all by himself. Gibbs let the little boy drive them anywhere he wanted until the waves started getting a little bigger and the boat started getting pushed around a bit more.

When Gibbs took over, Noah propped himself up against Mike on the bench seat and they watched the sunset as Gibbs took them home. The afternoon adventure had worn Noah out. Gibbs smiled when he turned around and saw Mike had picked Noah up and was letting him sleep on his shoulder. He hoped he was doing the right thing for the four year old. The past weighed heavily on him with the loss of his wife and daughter as well as three failed marriages following that. Now there was an innocent four year old who'd experienced more trauma than any person should ever have to, relying on him for all the love, support and care he needed. He wasn't too worried about the first, he already loved the child unconditionally but he questioned if he could protect him from all the hurt and the evil in the world.

* * *

><p>Tony, Tim, Ziva and Abby returned to Gibbs' house Wednesday night after work. They'd finished all the painting on Sunday and were very proud of their work but they still had to move all the furniture back into the bedroom and do a little decorating. Before they got started, Tony ordered a couple pizzas for dinner and they squeezed onto the couch together to watch some TV and unwind from the long day at work.<p>

After an hour of eating pizza and trying to solve the Wheel of Fortune puzzles before the contestants did, the group headed upstairs to get to work. They moved the furniture back into the room, arranging it in a way to maximize Noah's play area. A few surfing posters were hung on the walls to compliment the mural Abby had created, a bed set that matched the wall mural and several throw pillows were put on the bed, a toy hammock was hung and filled with stuffed animals and a large surfboard shaped rug was put beside Noah's bed. A toy box full of toys was brought in and half the bookshelf was filled with books while the other half was filled with movies.

"Looks really nice, guys," Tony said.

"I think he is really going to like it," Ziva said.

"The stuffed animals especially," Abby said with a smile. "Have you guys seen how carefully he treats them? For a kid that's been tortured his whole life, he's a very gentle little guy."

"Boss seems to have grown attached," Tim said.

"If anybody can help him, it's Gibbs," Abby said.

"He is quite good at taking what's broken and fixing it," Tony said as he stared off into the distance contemplating the thought. Not only was Gibbs a master with his hands when it came to woodworking and household repairs but despite his seemingly hash personality he was also very good at working with hurting people, especially children; possibly because of all the hurt inside him, possibly because he'd been doing it for years.

* * *

><p><em>Even in his haze Noah could feel the crushing weight on his chest. He gasped for air but could only get short, shallow breaths. His body was in immense pain; his most sensitive parts were being crushed and tortured almost beyond what he could bear.<em>

"_Payback's a bitch, ain't it, you little shit!"_

_The child couldn't understand what he'd done. He was always messing up but nobody ever explained to him what he'd done wrong so he could try to do better next time. He tried so hard to be a good boy but time after time after time he failed and had to face the wrath of his mother. _

"_I sorry, Mom," he pleaded with her. "I didn't mean to. I won't do it again." He knew his cries were in vain but he hoped if him mom knew how much he loved her, how hard he was trying to be good that maybe just once she would take mercy on him. "I love you, Mom. Please. I will be a good boy."_

_Christina Tate raised her hand over her head but before she could strike him, Noah wiggled free and ran. He knew the beating would be worse when she caught him but he had to at least try to escape._

Mike was on his way back to his bedroom after emptying his bladder in the middle of the night when he heard the quickly approaching footsteps. He was groggy and half asleep and didn't react until the small life form ran into him head on.

Noah screamed when he was grabbed. His mother had caught him and he was going to pay, not only for whatever he'd done that had made her mad in the first place but also for running away. He struggled and fought, punched and kicked, screamed and cried but the hands were too strong. He couldn't break free.

Gibbs heard all the commotion and was off the couch and down the hall in an instant. He took the hysterical child from Mike and held him tightly to his chest to stop him from flailing around. "Noah, Baby, wake up. It's okay. You're safe."

"I don't know even know what happened," Mike admitted. "I just got up to hit the head. After I took a leak the kid ran right into me."

"He has nightmares," Gibbs explained, "bad ones. You uh, might want to put some ice on that eye. Looks like he gave you a pretty good shiner." While Mike went to ice his newly forming black eye Gibbs swayed the little boy back and forth as he patted his back and whispered reassurances to him. By the time Noah finally came out of his nightmare he collapsed into Gibbs' grasp, sobbing uncontrollably.

"H-her—her—her d-doesn't love meee," he wailed.

Gibbs heart broke as he continued rocking Noah and rubbing his back. Life was rarely fair but Noah had been stuck with the worst mother imaginable. There was nothing Gibbs could do to erase the years of torment but he could show Noah what real love looked like. "Noah," he said, "listen to me. Are you listening? I'm sorry about what your mom did to you. That wasn't right and if I could fix it, I would but you get to live with me now and I can't promise you I'll always say the right things or do the right things but I can promise that I will always love you. Do you understand me?"

"Y-y-y-you love m-me?" the little boy stuttered through his tears.

Gibbs brushed the crocodile tears from Noah's cheeks then pressed a kiss to the side of his head. "Yes, I love you, Noah."

"Everything okay in here?" Mike asked appearing at the entryway to his living room. Gibbs nodded, feeling guilty about Mike's busted up eye but he knew his mentor wouldn't have it any other way. They both shared a soft spot for children, especially when they came from troubling situations. "In that case I'm gonna hit the rack. Holler if you need anything."

Gibbs nodded at Mike then looked back to Noah. "You okay?" he asked as troubled blue eyes looked up at him.

Noah nodded, his body still shuddering from his meltdown. "I don't wanna go back to bed," he confided. "The monsters will find me again."

"Okay Buddy," Gibbs said. "Let's go get Squirt so he doesn't get lonely then you can sit out here on the couch with me."

"No," Noah said quickly.

Gibbs arched his eyebrows and cocked his head at Noah. He knew how much he loved his baby sea turtle and couldn't imagine why he all of a sudden wouldn't want him by his side. "Why not, Buddy?"

Noah planted his face in Gibbs' chest, hiding from the agent. "I pee peed," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

Gibbs kissed the top of his head as he started back towards the bedroom. "That's okay. We'll get you all cleaned up and get the bed cleaned up then we'll hang out on the couch together."

"I sorry," Noah said. "I didn't mean to."

"I know," Gibbs assured him, "I know, Baby."

After changing Noah into some clean clothes and getting a load of laundry going, Gibbs took Noah and Squirt out to the living room. The little boy was struggling to keep his eyes open but fighting hard to remain alert. The agent sat down in the recliner, covered Noah with his blanket and was content to let the four year old rest peacefully sprawled out across his chest.

"Gibbs?" Noah whispered. "Are you my daddy?"

Gibbs paused and pondered the question. "Yeah, I uh, I am now."

"I never haved a daddy before," Noah said around a yawn.

"You do now, Kiddo," Gibbs whispered before kissing the top of his head. Nestled safely and comfortably with Gibbs and surrounded by his protective arms, Noah finally gave up and went back to sleep. Gibbs reclined the chair, closed his eyes and it wasn't long before he was sleeping once again too.

* * *

><p>Christina Tate paced angrily around her jail cell, fuming about the dramatic turn her life had taken. She didn't understand what had happened, how things had gotten to that point. None of it was her fault, yet she was the one being punished. She didn't ask to be raped in that dark alley when she was 19. She most certainly didn't ask to get pregnant as a result of it but she couldn't bear to have an abortion and there was no way she was telling her family she was raped. She did the only thing she felt she could, she kept him.<p>

As the boy grew he started to look more and more like her attacker. It became harder and harder for her to take care of him. At a young age she stopped seeing Noah as the sweet, innocent child he was and began to see him as the monster his biological father was. Noah's face was his father's face, Noah's voice was his father's voice and she couldn't let him get away with living a happy life. He didn't deserve it. Not when she still struggled with depression, flashbacks and seemingly incurable anxiety issues.

Christina Tate's pain was an invisible pain to the outside world. The emotional damage that had been done to her had turned to anger, hatred and rage. She'd turned into a monster but that's not how she saw herself. In her eyes she was simply the hand of justice.

"It'd do ya well to simmer down, Lady," her cellmate said as she relaxed on the bottom bunk reading her magazine.

"What do you know?" Christina spat.

Her cellmate laughed as she put her magazine aside and turned her focus on Christina. "Obviously a lot more than you." She watched the young mother pace. "My name's Bobbi Jo. You're Christina, right?"

Christina scoffed at the woman, not wanting anything to do with her.

"In here you take what friends you can get," Bobbi Jo said, "but hey, it's up to you."

"What do you want with me?" Christina asked suspiciously.

"I think I can help you," Bobbi Jo said. "Your arraignment hearing's tomorrow, right?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Gibbs and Mike sat side by side in their lawn chairs on the front porch of the house. Noah, clad only in a pair of the board shorts he loved so much, was playing in the sand by the water while the afternoon sun stood high in the sky. The little boy dug holes and built buildings, created flags out of twigs and shredded palm fronds, added seashells to his castles as windows and made swimming pools with water he retrieved from the ocean. Every few minutes he would glance over his shoulder to make sure Gibbs was close by but as long as the man was in view Noah was perfectly content to let his imagination run free.

"Hell of a thing, taking your anger out on a helpless kid," Mike said looking at the scars covering Noah's back.

"I'm hoping the scars will fade," Gibbs said, "but the scars on his body are nothing compared to the scars on his mind."

"Takes a real monster…" Mike let his sentence trail off as he watched the little boy haul a coconut over to his small creation. "What's next for him?" he asked. "He gotta testify?"

"The boyfriend's taking a plea deal—"

"Shouldn't make deals with animals like that," Mike interrupted.

"It wasn't up to me, Mike," Gibbs said. "They needed him to testify against Christina." Gibbs was quiet for a moment, watching Noah shake the coconut. "I'm worried Noah's going to have to testify. I don't know if he's strong enough."

Noah brought the coconut over to Gibbs and held it out to him. "I think something is in here," he said curiously. "It says whoosh whoosh."

Gibbs took the coconut from Noah and smiled. "You want to see what's in here?" he asked.

"How?" Noah said examining the coconut to see if he'd missed a window or a hole or another way to see inside.

"Let's break it open," Gibbs said. "Sit here with Grandpa Mike for a minute, hold your coconut." Gibbs retrieved a machete then, with one swift blow, chopped the coconut right in half while Noah watched.

"Whoa," Noah said as he examined the inside of the fruit. "How did the water get in there?"

"It gets in there when the coconut's growing on the tree," Gibbs explained. "Do you want to taste? It's not the same as the water you drink every day. It's probably going to taste a little funny."

Noah put his lips to the coconut and Gibbs tipped it slightly, giving the boy a taste of the coconut water. Noah quickly jerked his head away and spit the water out. "Yucky," he said.

"It's an acquired taste," Mike said with a laugh, taking the other half of the coconut from Gibbs and sucking down the coconut water.

"Do you want to taste a piece of coconut?" Gibbs offered. "It tastes better than the coconut water." He dug a piece out with the machete and handed it to Noah then got a piece out for himself and one for Mike. Noah took his time chewing the small bite, unsure if he liked it or not. It tasted a little funny but not bad. It was actually kind of flavorless but it was fun to chew on. Gibbs gave him another bite to chew on, pleased that he was eating it. He knew coconut was high in iron and with Noah's iron deficiency it was the perfect snack for him.

After a couple bites of coconut, Noah took the shell the three men had managed to empty out and returned to his creation on the beach.

"Has he said anything to you about what his mother did to him?" Mike asked returning to their previous conversation.

"A little bit here and there but not in much detail and it doesn't take long before his anxiety level raises," Gibbs said. "He usually ends up in full meltdown mode."

"If that's the case, it sounds like testifying would be damaging to his emotional wellbeing," Mike said. "Find yourself a psych doctor and a lawyer if need be and don't let him do it."

"I don't know if I can legally do that, Mike," Gibbs said. "He's not officially my kid yet but you can be damn sure I'm gonna fight for him. He's got a few people on his side. I think we can keep him from it but it's still hanging out there as a possibility."

"You could leave him down here with me," Mike teased. "With the exception of this black eye, he's been a great houseguest."

Gibbs laughed as he looked at the dark bruise surrounding Mike's eye. "If things go south up north, you might have two new houseguests," he said.

"Might have to remodel," Mike said, "add a room onto the house, unless you want to sleep in the living room every night."

The men clinked their beer bottles together and took a drink, knowing they were only half joking. Nothing would stop Gibbs from disappearing with Noah if that's what he had to do to protect the little boy and Mike would welcome them with open arms. Gibbs hoped it wouldn't come to that but knowing he had that option gave him a safety net and that was never a bad thing.

Noah made his way back over to the men as he started to get tired. "The waves are coming bigger and bigger and bigger," he said spreading his arms out for effect.

"Yep," Gibbs said, "the tide's coming in. Why don't you go get your cups and if you want to keep your coconut shell you better grab that too or it's going to float away in the ocean."

Noah retrieved his toys and put them on the porch then walked over to Gibbs. He loved to sit in the agent's lap and watch as the waves got bigger and bigger. Although Mike and Gibbs told him he wouldn't see any surfers out in the water, he always watched for them too, just in case.

* * *

><p>Christina Tate walked down the street breathing in the fresh air and thoroughly enjoying her freedom. Her arraignment hearing had gone well thanks to some very helpful tips from Bobbi Jo and she was released on bail and out towards the middle of the afternoon. She was beginning to feel vindicated but knew with the unfairness of the world around her that she'd have to take an active role in making sure she remained free.<p>

Rage mixed with embarrassment flashed across the young Seaman's face when she arrived at her house and found it surrounded by crime scene tape. She realized most of the neighborhood had to have seen it by then and cursed under her breath. She vowed to seek revenge on anyone involved. She'd been humiliated enough over the past five years. She wasn't going to sit back and be victimized by anyone any more, not even the police. A phone call to a close friend secured her a place to stay and access to all the resources she would need to guarantee her freedom.

* * *

><p>Their week of vacation passed all too quickly for Gibbs. As he grilled brats for lunch on their last day, he found himself wishing for more time. Mike was relaxing in the chair next to him while Noah played happily in the sand and surf. The roof had been reshingled, they'd spent a lot of time out on the boat, playing in the sand, swimming in the ocean, boogey boarding, fishing, exploring and sitting together watching the sun rise and fall. Gibbs felt relaxed and recuperated and with the exception of the constant nightmares Noah seemed to be making some significant improvements.<p>

"I figure we gotta leave outta here about 1500 hours, Probie" Mike said as Gibbs pulled the brats off the grill.

"Sounds about right," Gibbs said. "I want to give Noah a bath before we go, get all that sand off of him."

"You make sure you packed everything?" Mike asked. "I don't wanna be mailing any boxes to you."

Gibbs laughed as he glanced over at his friend. "I think I got everything," he said. "If not just put it up somewhere and I'll grab it on my way through next time."

Mike fixed a brat for himself while Gibbs made one for Noah and one for himself. Mike grabbed a beer for himself and two sodas for Gibbs and Noah then they all sat down to eat together one last time.

"We have to take a bath after lunch, Kiddo," Gibbs said as they ate.

"In a daytime?" Noah asked with his mouth full.

"Yep," Gibbs said. "Remember? Today's the day we have to say goodbye to Grandpa Mike and head home?"

Noah's face saddened as he continued eating. He remembered but part of him was hoping if he didn't think about it maybe they wouldn't have to go quite yet. Maybe they could stay just a little while longer. "When does we has to leave?" he asked.

"After you get your bath we're going to head to the airport," Gibbs said. "We'll get on a couple different airplanes, just like when we came here, and we'll fly all night then tomorrow morning we'll be home."

"Where I is going?" Noah asked, taking a break from his lunch.

"You're going with me, Buddy," Gibbs answered. "You live with me now, remember?"

"For how long?"

"For a long, long time," Gibbs answered. "Until you grow up and can live all by yourself."

"You will be my daddy still?" he asked.

"Always," Gibbs answered.

Noah thought about it for a minute and seemed satisfied with Gibbs' answers. He was sure the agent would get rid of him after a couple days but he was determined to be the best little boy he knew how to be so Gibbs wouldn't stop loving him like everybody else had. He thought that maybe if he tried really hard, the agent would let him stay.

* * *

><p>Two exhausted travelers walked through the front door of Gibbs' house on Saturday morning. The flight home hadn't gone quite as smoothly as the flight there. Noah seemed to be on edge and anxious so Gibbs spent most of their time in the air reading to him, driving the matchbox cars Abby and Tony had bought around on the tray tables and coloring pictures. It seemed to be all Gibbs could do to keep the boy calm. He wasn't sure what was going on in his head and the four year old wasn't giving any clues.<p>

"Alright Kiddo," Gibbs said sleepily, "head on upstairs and change into your pajamas and I'll come up and tuck you in. We're going to try to take a little nap."

Noah dragged himself up the stairs, too tired to protest. Gibbs remained downstairs and went through the previous week's mail. He checked over the house, making sure everything was in order then headed upstairs to check on Noah. He found the little boy curled up in the hallway, sleeping. He smiled to himself as he lifted the child into his arms.

"Were you so tired you couldn't even make it into your bedroom?" he asked when the boy woke.

"I think somebody else lives in there now," Noah said before yawning and laying his head on Gibbs' shoulder.

"What?" Gibbs asked. He walked into the room and smiled when he saw the makeover. "You know what, Buddy?" he asked patting Noah's back. "I think Abby and Tony, Ziva and Tim decorated your room for you while we were gone. Wasn't that nice of them?"

"Them made this for me?" Noah asked lifting his head up and looking around.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs hummed as he stood Noah in front of his dresser. He got the little boy changed into his pajamas then laid him down in his bed and sat with him for a few minutes until he went back to sleep. Once he was sure he wasn't going to wake up again, Gibbs headed down to his own bedroom to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>Abby waited as long as she could on Saturday before heading over to Gibbs' house. She wanted to give them time to get home and get settled before she showed up but by early afternoon she couldn't wait any longer. She grabbed the tin of cookies she'd baked for them, got into her car and headed over.<p>

Gibbs was sitting on his couch catching up on a stack of newspapers when he heard his front door open. He knew it was either Jenny or Abby and guessed it was the latter. He laid the newspaper aside, realizing he hadn't missed much while he was gone and waited for his guest to appear.

"Abby," he said.

"How'd you know it was me?" Abby asked.

"Well," Gibbs said as she came into view, "I figured it was either you or Jen and Jen wouldn't have hesitated."

"Guilty," Abby said shrugging her shoulders. She sat down on the couch next to Gibbs and handed him the tin of goodies. "How was your trip? How's the little guy? How's Mike?"

"Mike's fine," Gibbs said as he opened the tin and pulled out a cookie. "We had a nice trip and Noah's doing okay. He's sleeping. Thanks for the cookies."

Abby nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. She missed the closeness, the simple affections he shared with her. Gibbs wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek before taking a bite of his cookie.

After sleeping most of the morning and into the afternoon, Noah woke in his new bedroom. The little boy sat up in bed, hugging Squirt to his side with one arm and rubbing his eyes with the other. He took a minute to take in the new decorations. He couldn't believe all the surfers and surf boards, the hammock full of stuffed animals and the new books and toys stacked neatly on the shelves. He was sure that was the nicest room he'd ever seen before.

With the afternoon sun shining brightly in his window he slipped out of bed with his turtle and made his way into the hallway. He listened for a minute and could hear Gibbs talking to somebody downstairs. He wasn't too sure where he was supposed to be or what he was supposed to be doing so he decided to go downstairs and ask.

"Hey Kiddo," Gibbs said when Noah appeared in the living room. "Did you have a good nap?" Noah nodded his head as Gibbs lifted him up and kissed his head. "You want something to eat? I bet you're hungry."

"Is it time?" Noah asked.

"Well we kind of slept through lunchtime so we're going to eat a little late today," Gibbs said standing Noah on the floor in front of him. "Do you want to hang out with Abby while I make us something to eat?"

"Come on, Noah," Abby said extending her arms. "You can sit on my lap and tell me all about your vacation."

Noah felt his heart jump. He glanced nervously up at Gibbs, unsure of what to say or do. He knew it was safe to sit in the agent's lap and nothing was expected of him but he wasn't sure about Abby. "Does her want me to… to rub her?" he asked Gibbs quietly.

Abby gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. She hadn't thought about what she was saying and felt horrible for giving Noah the wrong idea. Noah took her reaction to mean he'd messed up again and took off running from the room, feeling ashamed, embarrassed and scared.

Gibbs hurried after the little boy and found him upstairs curled in the corner of his closet. "Noah," he said gently, "can you come out here and talk to me."

"I don't want to get in trouble," Noah said sniffing back tears. "I didn't mean to."

"You're not in trouble," Gibbs assured him. "You and I are just going to talk for a minute. I'm going to try to help you understand some things."

Even amidst his confusion, there was no doubt in Noah's mind that he was in big trouble. He was just trying to make his new friends like him and not mess anything up but, just like every other time, he'd ruined everything. He reluctantly crawled out of the closet and settled at Gibbs' feet. He flinched when Gibbs reached for him but to his surprise he didn't get hit, instead he was enveloped in loving arms.

Gibbs sat down on the bed and leaned against the headboard with Noah cuddled in his lap. More than anything he wanted the little boy to trust him but he knew that would take time. "Let's you and I talk about the difference between good touching and bad touching," Gibbs said.

He rotated Noah to one side of his lap so he could see the little boy's face and knew he was listening. "Good touching is when people who care about us give us a hug or a kiss or pat our back or maybe rub our tummy, or ruffle our hair. It makes us feel good and happy because it lets us know we're special and we're loved. Okay?"

Noah sniffed his nose and his entire body shuddered on Gibbs' lap as he calmed down. He nodded his head but wasn't ready to look at Gibbs yet.

"Bad touching is when people hurt us, Noah. It's when they hit us or kick us or push us but it's also anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you don't like where someone's touching you, then they shouldn't be touching there."

"Like my dick?" Noah asked quietly.

"Exactly like that," Gibbs said rubbing Noah's back gently. "No one should ever touch your private parts except sometimes a doctor. And let's not call it your dick, Buddy. That's not a very nice word. Can you call it your penis?"

Noah nodded his head and peeked up at Gibbs out of the corner of his eyes to see if the older man looked mad. His tone was quiet and calm and his face didn't look angry so Noah thought he might be safe.

"One more thing," Gibbs continued, "just like I don't want you to let anybody touch your private parts, I don't want you to touch anybody else's private parts. Okay?"

"You mean I don't have to rub nobody?" Noah asked finally looking into Gibbs' eyes.

"No, I don't want you to rub anybody," Gibbs said. "When I ask you to sit in my lap or Abby asks you to sit in her lap it's because we love you and we want to be close to you and give you hugs and kisses. It's not because we want you to rub us or we want to rub you. That's not love."

"That's bad," Noah said.

"Right," Gibbs said with a smile, "and if you don't know or if you get confused I want you to come and ask me and I'll help you. Never be afraid to ask me something or tell me something. I won't get mad at you. Okay?"

"Kay," Noah said.

"Alright," Gibbs said, "let's practice. If Abby wants to give you a hug, is that okay? Or is that bad?"

"That's good touch," Noah said after taking a minute to think about it, "that's okay."

"Right," Gibbs praised. "What if Tony wants you to sit on his lap. Is that okay? Or is that bad?"

"It's okay to sit on him's lap but I don't a'ppose a rub him," Noah said looking to Gibbs for approval.

"Good Noah," Gibbs said. "What if I ask you to touch my private parts? Is that okay or is that bad?"

Noah felt his heart drop. He wanted nothing more than to please Gibbs and do anything the older man wanted him to but he'd just told him he wasn't supposed to touch other people's privates so he was a little confused. He thought about it hard before shaking his head. "Uh, I… I… that would be um, bad?"

"That's right, Noah," Gibbs said. "It doesn't matter who it is, that would be bad, even if it's your best friend. Let's do one more. What if there's a kid on the playground who wants the ball you're playing with so he pushes you down and takes your ball away. Is that okay or is that bad?"

"That's bad," Noah said.

"That's right," Gibbs said. "What are you going to do if you don't know if something is good or bad?"

"I will ask you," Noah said.

"Good job," Gibbs said. "Do you have any questions?"

Noah nodded his head and looked up at Gibbs. "Is it bad to hold hands?"

"Good question," Gibbs said. "It's perfectly okay to hold hands with people who love us. Okay? Any more questions?"

Noah shook his head no as Gibbs brushed the moisture from his cheek with his thumb. He felt much better after having had the talk with Gibbs; he just hoped he could remember everything. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint anybody, especially his new friends.

"Do you want to sit with Abby and tell her about your vacation while I make some lunch?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Noah said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Gibbs was pleased to find Noah sleeping in his bed rather than under it on Monday morning when he went in to wake him up. He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his child's hair. "Noah," he said softly, "it's time to wake up, Buddy."

Noah opened his eyes and looked sleepily up at Gibbs. He yawned as he stretched and that was when he realized he was lying in a big wet spot. He'd wet the bed— again.

"Are you ready to get up?" Gibbs asked trying to give the little boy time to wake up.

Noah wished he could make himself invisible. He was so embarrassed and ashamed. The tears stinging his eyes quickly overflowed onto his cheeks as he stared up at Gibbs.

"What's wrong, Bud?" Gibbs asked.

"I pee peed," Noah cried.

"Okay," Gibbs said lifting him into his arms and holding him tight, "it's okay. It's not your fault." He kissed the top of Noah's head and rubbed his back, trying to calm him down. "Did you have nightmares again last night?" The agent took the little boy's silence as a yes. Noah was very closed off, afraid of being perceived as bad or a burden. Gibbs knew it was time to get him into therapy.

"We're going to get you all cleaned up," Gibbs said as Noah's crying eased, "then you know what? Today is a very special day. Do you remember what you get to do today?" Noah shook his head as he dried his tears on Gibbs' shirt. "Today you start your new school. You're going to meet some new friends and have nice teachers and do all kinds of fun stuff that you didn't get to do at your other school."

"I wanna stay with you," Noah whined holding tightly to Gibbs.

"I know, Kiddo," Gibbs said, "but I have to go to work and you're going to have a lot more fun at school than you would sitting around in the bullpen all day. I'll be right in the same building so we'll be really close to each other." After considering all his options, Gibbs had decided to enroll Noah in the daycare at NCIS. They had a preschool program each morning, a solidly structured day and a good reputation. It would also keep Noah close by in case Gibbs needed to get to him quickly.

Gibbs changed Noah's clothes, threw a load of laundry in then he and Noah headed into the kitchen to make Noah's lunch. "What kind of sandwich do you want today, Kiddo?" he asked as he sat Noah on the countertop. "We've got PB and J or some over roasted turkey. What sounds good?"

"What PB and J is?" Noah asked.

"Peanut butter and jelly," Gibbs answered.

"Uh, I can have turkey?" Noah asked nervously.

"Turkey it is," Gibbs said with a smile.

Gibbs spread the mayonnaise and a little bit of mustard on the bread then let Noah add the meat and cheese to his sandwich. While he packed some baby carrots and veggie dip, Noah filled a sandwich bag with the cheese puffs he'd chosen at the store over the weekend. Gibbs put a bottle of water and a Capri Sun in the little boy's new Buzz Lightyear lunchbox then let Noah put the food in.

"Alright, go put your shoes on for me," Gibbs said standing Noah on the floor. While Noah was in the other room, Gibbs added a pack of fruit snacks and a couple cookies to his lunchbox, knowing that would brighten his day when he discovered the special treats.

Gibbs called Elaine on his way out the door and had her make two breakfast platters to go so when he stopped in to get his cup of coffee he could grab their breakfasts as well. Noah was anxious and fidgeting in the backseat the entire time they were in the car. He was quieter than usual as he fretted over what his new school was going to be like. Gibbs was hoping by eating breakfast with him it would help ease him into the idea.

Once they arrived at NCIS Headquarters, Gibbs grabbed their things, took Noah's hand and led him to the back corner of the building where the daycare was located. He introduced himself and Noah to Casey, the head of the daycare program, and the middle aged woman showed Noah where his cubby was then gave Gibbs all the necessary paperwork to fill out.

All the activity seemed to be in the main room of the daycare at the moment. It was divided into an eating area with two large cafeteria style tables and a carpeted area with an endless amount of toys. Gibbs set out their meals on one of the tables then sat down to eat with Noah while he filled out the paperwork.

Noah watched the handful of kids who were playing while he ate. This was definitely nothing like his old school. He wondered if he would be allowed to play too. At his old school he only got to watch the other kids having fun. When they were done eating, Gibbs gave Noah a hug and a kiss goodbye then handed him off to one of the teachers who sat down at the table to color a picture with him. As he colored, Noah continued to watch the handful of kids playing with the different toys scatted throughout the room. When he was done with his picture, the worker helped him write his name on it then Noah tucked it away in his cubby so he could take it home that night.

He wandered out into the play area and stood in the middle looking around at the other children and trying to decide what he wanted to play with. One little boy nearly ran him over before stopping and actually noticing he was standing there.

"Are you a new boy?" the curious child asked. Noah nodded shyly, wondering what the child was going to do to him. The kids at his other school had always been mean to him. "I'm Matty, actually Matthew 'cept everybody calls me Matty. What's your name?"

"N-Noah."

Matty looked around and noticed Noah was by himself. "You're not playin' with anybody?" he asked. Noah shook his head. "Wanna play with me? I'm playing with the rocket ships! There's a bunch so you could play too." Noah half smiled and nodded his head. He couldn't believe it! Somebody actually wanted to play with him! Matty took him over to the basket where the rocket ships were and helped Noah choose one for himself. Noah chose the red one with flames shooting down its side and Matty traded his yellow one for the blue one then the boys started flying their aircraft all around the room. Noah told his new friend about how he got to fly in real airplane while the two built a space station out of the wooden blocks.

The boys played happily together for the next couple hours moving from station to station, being sure to play with all the toys that looked interesting while they talked about Matty's dog and Noah's vacation, Matty's older sister and Noah's new daddy, Matty's new backpack and Noah's new lunchbox. A brief argument over who got to be which pirate was quickly resolved when Noah gave in and let Matty be the one he wanted. Noah decided he didn't really care which pirate he got to be, he was simply thrilled to have someone to talk to and play with. The boys were just getting ready to move on to the Army men toy station when their teachers announced it was time to get cleaned up so they could start their lessons.

Noah listened and watched curiously as the teachers and other children sang songs and danced around, talked about the weather and displayed a large happy sunshine on the weather board, practiced the days of the week and the months of the year. He was thrilled when he learned show and tell was on Tuesday and even more thrilled to learn they could order a pizza lunch on Friday if their parents gave them two dollars. He wondered if Gibbs would give him two dollars for some pizza, he wondered if he should even ask. Before he had too much time to worry about it, the kids were split into groups and half of them were sent into the lesson room to work on their ABCs while the other half went into the art room to make a necklace out of different size, shaped and colored macaroni noodles. Noah and Matty giggled at each other when they both got sent to the lesson room together.

* * *

><p>After a fairly long first day back at work after his vacation, Gibbs was looking forward to picking Noah up and getting home. Tony was having a difficult time making the transition from boss back to second in charge but Gibbs was patient with him. Ziva and Tim's teasing was starting to drive Gibbs up the wall. Tony's incessant rambling about his Friday night spent in a bar full of drunk college girls was quickly pushing him over the edge. Abby didn't seem to be able to stay on track at all no matter what her task was. The quiet beach in Mexico was sounding better and better by the minute.<p>

Gibbs arrived at the daycare to find Noah sitting at the table working on a puzzle with another little boy. He looked wearily at the young lady working the front desk. "Is he in timeout?" he asked quietly.

"Noah?" she asked. "No, he's been an angel all day. I think he even made a new friend."

"Thanks," Gibbs said as he signed his little boy out. He headed over to the table and sat down next to Noah and his new friend. Noah glanced over and when he saw Gibbs was there he smiled.

"I maked a new friend," he said. "Him's name is Matty."

"It's nice to meet you, Matty," Gibbs said extending his hand to the brown haired little boy sitting across the table. He wrapped his other arm around Noah and leaned down to kiss his head. "Did you guys have a fun day together?"

Noah nodded his head as he put another piece of their large puzzle in. "Matty's four, just like me and him has a doggy and a big sister."

"Wow," Gibbs said watching the boys work together on their puzzle.

"I'll be five next month!" Matty added proudly.

"What's your last name, Bud?" Gibbs asked, wondering who the child's parents were.

"Dawson," Matty answered.

Gibbs smiled; he thought the boy looked familiar. He'd never actually met the child but he was the spitting image of his father. "Is your dad's name Matthew too?" he asked.

Matty smiled up at him, surprised that Gibbs had known that. "Yeah," he answered. "I'm a junior!"

"Your daddy sits right on the other side of my desk," Gibbs told him.

"Neat!" Matty said.

While Gibbs was chatting with the boys and waiting for them to finish their puzzle, Casey, the head of the program, called him over. He patted Noah's head then moved over to have a private conversation with her. "How'd he do today?"

"He did just fine, he's a little quiet but he did make a friend as you saw," Casey said. "He's a very polite kid. When you told me he'd been abused I was expecting a child who'd be a little more difficult to handle but Noah's a little sweetheart."

"He's terrified he's going to mess up," Gibbs explained, "and unfortunately, his idea of messing up is doing just about anything."

"We will definitely be aware of that and give him a lot of praise to try to help his self image," Casey said. "Is he in therapy?"

"He starts tomorrow," Gibbs said. "In fact, I'll be here to pick him up right after lunch, then drop him off again a couple hours later."

"That'll help too," Casey said. "I wanted to talk to you about something I observed this morning during lesson time." Gibbs braced himself for bad news. "We were working on our alphabet and right now we're learning J, K and L. I've been doing this long enough I can usually pick out some learning disabilities and I'm a little concerned Noah might be dyslexic."

"Wow," Gibbs said, looking over at the little boy who was now his child.

"Nothing's for sure," Casey added quickly. "It's very early on but I wanted you to prepare yourself for that possibility."

Gibbs felt a little hand on his pant leg and leaned down to pick Noah up. "Did I be'd bad?" he asked noticing the seriousness of the adults' faces.

"No Baby Boy," Gibbs said before kissing his cheek, "in fact, Ms. Casey was just telling me how polite you are."

"What polite means?" Noah asked.

"Polite means you have very good manners," Gibbs said. "It means you say please and thank you and you share your toys and you play nicely with your friends." Noah wasn't quite sure what to think or do. He couldn't believe his teacher liked him and was telling Gibbs that he was a good boy. His other teacher always told his mom how much of a handful he was, how he stole food and didn't pay attention in class. "Are you ready to go home? Did you finish your puzzle and say goodbye to Matty?"

"Yeah," Noah said nodding his head.

"Okay, go put your shoes on and we'll go." While Noah retrieved his shoes from his cubby, Gibbs turned back to his teacher. "I'll keep an eye on him, work with him, make sure he gets any help he needs."

"We'll be sure to keep an eye on him too," Casey said, "and our class sizes are small enough we can give him a lot of attention."

"Thanks Casey," Gibbs said. He collected everything from Noah's cubby, grabbed the little boy's hand and the two headed home.

* * *

><p>Christina Tate drove slowly through the small neighborhood in Alexandria. It had taken quite a bit of research but she'd finally figured out where Gibbs lived thanks to an old article in the paper praising him for saving his neighbor after the man had a heart attack in his backyard. She drove through once going right at 25 miles an hour, looking at everything. She took note of the neighbors' cars in their driveways, who had dogs, how close together the houses were and the fact that the house directly across the street from Gibbs' was for sale and looked vacant. Perfect.<p>

She parked her car at the end of the block, slipped a black baseball hat on her head and got out. To the average person she looked like a runner and she wasn't planning on getting close enough to Gibbs for him to recognize her. She was there to study him, to learn his patterns and routines, figure out when he went to bed and when he got up, when he came and went. One of the main things she remembered from The Art of War was you must know your enemy. She vaguely remembered there being slightly more to the principal but that wasn't of much concern to her.

After making sure no one was watching her, she slipped up to the house for sale and peered into the windows. The house was definitely vacant; there wasn't a soul in sight. The woman felt her plan coming together perfectly, almost as if things were meant to be. She was still trying to decide how to exact her payback, a bomb? Fire? Shooting? Release deadly gas into the house? Cut the brake lines on the car? There were many options and she hoped learning Gibbs' patterns and routines would help her choose the perfect one.

Just as she slipped into place behind a large bush with a perfect view of Gibbs' house, a car pulled into his driveway. She watched as the Special Agent got out then opened the back door. Her mouth dropped when Noah stepped out of his car and the two walked into the house together. What was her son doing at his house? It had been three weeks since he'd been taken from her. That should've been plenty of time for child services to place him somewhere. Was he living with Gibbs? Protective custody? What was going on?

Her anger quickly turned to delight. With both of them in the same house she could kill two birds with one stone. This arrangement was actually perfect. If Noah really was staying with Gibbs, that would make her life a little bit easier. She pulled out the snickers bar she'd brought along for dinner and settled in. Patience was the key.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Gibbs hurried through the halls of NCIS towards the daycare. Noah's appointment with his new therapist was in less than an hour and he was running late. When he arrived he was happy to find Noah's teachers had already helped him get his shoes on and the little boy was ready to go. He thanked the women then lifted Noah into his arms and hurried out to his car.

"Why we go fast?" Noah asked.

"We're running late, Bud," Gibbs answered. "How was school this morning? Did you have fun?"

Noah shrugged his shoulders. "Matty getted in trouble for pullin' Katie's hair and him had to sit in timeout."

"That wasn't very nice," Gibbs said. "Did you pull Katie's hair too?"

Noah shook his head. "I didn't wanted her to be mad at me."

"Good boy," Gibbs praised. He stood Noah by the back door of his car, unlocked it then opened the door for the four year old. After making sure he was buckled, Gibbs got in the car and hurried off towards the therapist's office. Ducky had both recommended and set up an appointment with Cameron Bartlet, one of his closest friends, which was a little bit of a relief to Gibbs. He didn't know where to start or how to pick someone to trust with something as fragile as Noah's emotional wellbeing. He parked the car in front of the therapist's office with only two minutes to spare.

"Are you ready to go meet this guy, Noah?" he asked opening the back door of the car for the little boy.

Noah got out and stood just staring at the small building. "Is you leaving me here?" he asked.

Gibbs didn't miss the fear in his little boy's voice and was wishing he had more time to sit in the waiting room to ease him into being there. "I'll be with you the whole time," he promised as he lifted Noah into his arms and carried him into the building.

"Syndi, have you heard from Noah Tate? Is he on his way?"

"Here," Gibbs said entering the small waiting room. "I got hung up at work."

"No big deal," the dark haired, middle aged man said extending his hand to Gibbs. "Cameron Bartlet, you can both just call me Cameron."

"Jethro Gibbs," Gibbs said as he shook the man's hand, "and this is Noah."

Noah tightened his grip around Gibbs' neck and kept his head buried in the agent's shirt. Gibbs followed Cameron back to his office and sat down in one of the chairs with Noah. His attempt to rotate the little boy around in his lap resulted in claw marks in his neck as Noah refused to loosen his grip.

"Noah, Buddy, can you turn around and look at the doctor?" Gibbs whispered. "You can still sit in my lap." Noah shook his head and held firmly. "He's painfully shy," Gibbs explained to the therapist.

"That's okay," Cameron said as he grabbed his notebook and pen, "takes everyone some time to adjust."

Gibbs rubbed his hand up and down Noah's back. He could feel the tension in his body. "Can you slide down and sit in my lap, Kiddo?" he asked. "I think we'll both be a little more comfortable that way." He pried Noah's hands from his neck and lowered the little boy into his lap, Noah grabbing at him, desperately trying to find something to hold onto. Gibbs settled him in his lap and readjusted his shirt while Noah wrapped his arms around Gibbs' midsection and held onto his polo shirt so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Maybe you and I can talk for a minute while Noah relaxes," Cameron said as Gibbs wrapped his arms around the little boy and kissed the top of his head.

Gibbs filled Cameron in on what Ducky hadn't told him yet and expounded on some of the things the medical examiner had already told him. Half way into their session Noah still refused to even look at the therapist. The only thing he wanted to do was sit with his face buried in Gibbs' chest.

"I'd like to speak with Noah in private, with you permission," Cameron said. "Sometimes children feel a little more comfortable opening up when there isn't another adult in the room."

Gibbs shook his head, not liking the idea at all. He'd promised Noah he wouldn't leave him alone. The last thing he wanted to do was add to the little boy's abandonment issues, especially when he was so scared already. "I don't think so," he said. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I know it's hard," Cameron said, "and it probably seems a little cruel but I can assure you that it's for the best. Noah and I are just going to play some games and play with some toys while we chat for a little bit. He'll know that you're right outside in the waiting room the whole time."

Gibbs still wasn't convinced and the fingernails digging into his back told him Noah wasn't liking the idea anymore than he was. "I, uh, no, I don't think this is going to work out," he said as he stood with Noah. "We've got to go."

"Agent Gibbs?" Cameron asked as the man walked out of his office. "Agent Gibbs, please."Before he could finish his sentence, Gibbs and Noah were gone.

* * *

><p>Ducky was boldly sitting at Gibbs' desk when the special agent returned, Noah in tow. He'd received a call from his good friend, asking for a little help. Tony, Ziva and Tim were all sitting at their desks, pretending to work but paying more attention to what Gibbs was going to say to Ducky.<p>

"Noah, would you be a good lad and sit with your Uncle Tony for a minute while I have a word with your— uh, with Gibbs?" Ducky asked.

Gibbs smiled at his little boy and motioned with his head for him to go see Tony then followed Ducky to the elevator.

"How are you doing, Little Man?" Tony asked as Noah walked over to his desk. "Do you want to sit on my lap?" Fear flashed across Noah's face at the question but he remembered what Gibbs had told him that weekend. "I'm not going to hurt you," Tony said gently. He'd heard from Abby what had happened when she'd asked the four year old the same question.

"Okay," Noah said.

Tony lifted the little boy up and put him on his lap so they were facing each other. "So, did you get to meet Cameron?"

Noah sat stiffly in Tony's lap looking up at the agent. "I don't—I-I don't like it there."

"You don't?" Tony asked playing as if he were shocked. "I bet you didn't get a chance to play with all his really cool toys. Did you play with the toys?"

"No," Noah said relaxing slightly. "Him doesn't have any toys but I didn't wanted to anyways."

"Why not?" Tony gently squeezed Noah's shoulder as a show of affection as he searched his eyes. The fear was evident and the special agent wished he could take it away.

"I didn't wanted Gibbs to leave me there," Noah explained.

Tony thought for a minute, trying to figure out how to best respond to Noah's fear. He preferred making people laugh but he could get serious when need be. "Sometimes we have to do things that seem a little bit scary and we can't always have our daddy there with us," he started, "but Papa Gibbs would never ever ever leave you somewhere and not come back to get you."

"What is papa?" Noah asked curiously.

"Papa is another word for daddy," Tony explained. He'd forgotten Noah hadn't had any real male influence in his life, or any motherly influence for that matter.

"Is Gibbs your daddy too?" Noah asked. "Him telled me that him was my daddy now."

"Uh, I'm kind of like you," Tony said. "Gibbs kind of adopted me." Noah looked up at the agent in awe. "He adopted Ziva and Little Timmy and Abby too. We're kind of like your brothers and sisters."

"Wow," Noah said.

"Can you do me a favor, little brother?" Tony asked. "Can you give Cameron one more shot? Can you play with some of his toys and maybe talk to him a tiny bit while you play?" Noah looked at his newfound big brother, unsure about his request. "Can you do that if I promise you that Daddy Gibbs will be out in the waiting room the _whole_ time?"

"I will try to," Noah finally agreed, his shaky voice revealing the same fear his eyes held.

"Alright," Tony said, "you're a good man, Noah." Tony glanced over at his coworkers who were watching him intently with impressed looks on their faces. He leaned slightly closer to Noah and lowered his voice. "Wanna know a secret?" Noah nodded and leaned a bit closer to Tony. "I bet when you're all done talking to Cameron, Daddy's going to get you a special treat."

"Treat?" Noah asked. He thought back to the first day he'd met Gibbs. "Like after a hospital? Him taked me to getted a ice cream!"

"See," Tony said, "'cause our Daddy is the coolest! He always rewards us when we're good boys."

"Tony," Noah said quietly, seriousness set on his face.

"What Buddy?"

"I'm 'cared," Noah admitted.

"I know, Kiddo," Tony said, "and it's perfectly okay to be scared. Cameron is going to help you to not be so scared all the time. It's going to take some hard work and he might ask you to talk about some scary things but only because he wants to help you. Know what else? I know you can do it 'cause you're my little brother and you're strong." Tony gave Noah a tight hug and kissed the side of his head.

* * *

><p>Ducky and Gibbs stepped into the elevator and Ducky immediately flipped the emergency stop switch. "He wanted me to leave Noah in there by himself, Duck," Gibbs said defensively, knowing what Ducky was going to say. "I didn't want him to think I was abandoning him."<p>

Ducky held up his hands, trying to calm Gibbs and get him to stop talking. "I know. Cameron called. I'm asking you to trust me. Cameron is very good. He knows what he's doing."

"And I can respect that," Gibbs interrupted, "but I didn't want leave Noah in there by himself."

"Jethro, I am fully aware of Noah's abandonment issues and you wanting to be sensitive to that but Cameron can help him work through it. I know it wasn't common practice to seek the advice of therapists back in our day but I can assure you, this will be beneficial for Noah."

"I'm not leaving him in there by himself, Ducky," Gibbs insisted.

"Noah has to learn that you cannot be by his side at all times," Ducky said firmly. "It's part of building trust. It's the same thing when you drop him off at daycare in the morning. He knows you'll come back in the evening to pick him up. When he goes to the therapist, you tell him you'll be in the waiting room and when he's all done you'll leave together."

Gibbs grumbled something incomprehensible as he shook his head. Before he had time to speak, Ducky flipped the switch to get the elevator moving again. "Come on," he said, "I'll go with you this time."

Under protest, Gibbs drove Noah and Ducky back to Cameron's office. Cameron was speaking to his receptionist when the three of them walked in. He smiled patiently at the group and looked at Ducky who nodded. "Noah, would you like to come back to my office and play for a little while?"

Noah looked up at Gibbs and he squeezed his child's hand. "It's okay," Gibbs assured him, "I'll be right here in the waiting room the whole time. I promise."

"You won't leave me?" Noah asked.

"You know what," Gibbs said as he reached his hand into his pocket, "I am going to give you the car keys that way you'll know I'm here because I can't leave without my keys, right?"

Noah took the keys in his shaky little hands and stared at them. Cameron patted Noah's back to get him moving in the direction of his office but the little boy jerked away. "Don't touch me," he said almost as if he were scolding the man.

"I'm sorry," Cameron said. "I won't touch you. Are you ready to go play?" With one more look back towards Gibbs, Noah reluctantly disappeared into Cameron's office.

Ducky and Syndi, Cameron's receptionist, watched as Gibbs paced the floor of the small waiting room. He would occasionally stop to study a piece of art on the wall or look out the window but it was pretty clear he was trying to expel some of his nervous energy. Ducky regaled Syndi with tales from his travels, fascinating the middle aged receptionist while they watched Gibbs out of the corner of their eyes.

Almost an hour after Noah disappeared into the therapist's office, the door opened and Cameron emerged. "Agent Gibbs, would you join us please?"

Gibbs was immediately in the room and found Noah sitting in a chair looking terrified. He lifted the little boy into his arms and hugged him tight. "How are you doing, Kiddo?" Noah's only response was to bury his face in Gibbs' shirt.

"We had a pretty good first session," Cameron said as he closed the door and sat down in his chair. "Noah and I played with some toys while we talked. He hasn't been sitting like that for the past hour." Gibbs sat down with the little boy in his lap and listened to the doctor. "I just wanted to touch on a few things I think might help based on what you've told me and what Noah and I have spoken about."

"Okay," Gibbs said running his hand through Noah's hair and rubbing his back.

"The first thing is the bedwetting," Cameron said. "From what I've heard, you've been handling it very well. Don't make a big deal out of it, nothing to shame him or punish him and all that's very important but it can still be damaging to his self esteem. Therapy will help but there are a couple things I'd like you to start doing. First, I'd like you to watch his fluid intake after dinner time. Reducing that will reduce his urine production. You don't have to cut him off completely but try to avoid juices, sodas and sugary drinks and no large glasses of water right before bed."

"Sounds easy enough," Gibbs said.

"Second, there's a technique called lifting that I'd like for you to try," Cameron continued. "Have Noah empty his bladder before you lay him down each night but then I want you to get him up a couple hours later and have him use the bathroom again. I'd recommend doing that right before you go to bed. You don't have to wake him fully, just enough to get him to the bathroom and let him empty his bladder. Working with him in therapy will take a little bit of time but I'm hoping these two techniques will give you some immediate results if for nothing else, for his self esteem."

"I can do that," Gibbs said.

"I'll check in with you next week and we'll talk about how that's going," Cameron said with a friendly smile. "The other thing I want to talk about is story time. "

"We have story time every night," Gibbs said feeling the need to defend himself.

"I know," Cameron said, "Noah told me all about it. He loves it. I recommend going to the library and getting some educational books for him. There are tons of books that will teach him his alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, how to tell time, things like that. That will help him catch up to the other children his age which will in turn improve his self image. I would also recommend finding a book that focuses on good touch, bad touch. That seems to be a prevalent struggle and fear for Noah."

"We've talked about that a little bit," Gibbs said, "but I've noticed that too. Not knowing what is and isn't appropriate combined with his fear of messing up is paralyzing for him a lot of the time."

Cameron nodded his understanding. "We're going to work on that in therapy but these are things you can help him with at home too. Noah is a great kid, we've just got to show him that. He needs a lot of support and encouragement and positive reinforcement."

"We're working on all three of those," Gibbs assured the man.

"You're doing a great job," Cameron said as he shook Gibbs' hand. "Noah idolizes you."

Gibbs kissed the top of his little boy's head as he held him. Noah had gone back into hiding with his face planted firmly in Gibbs' shirt.

"There's one more thing I wanted to speak to you about," Cameron said. "I'd like your permission to introduce Noah to the anatomically correct dolls during our next session. It is controversial but I've found with children who a little bit shyer and quieter, like Noah, it helps them express things easier."

Gibbs felt an enormous weight at having to make that decision. He didn't have much experience working with children in that capacity so he couldn't draw on his own knowledge and it was another decision that had to be made without the use of a rule that told him what to do. He would've given anything to have Shannon by his side to talk through it and make the decision together. "What exactly are you planning on doing? Can you explain some of the possible risks and benefits? Let me give him to Ducky so I can try to understand this."

Gibbs passed Noah off to Ducky in the waiting room, assuring the little boy that he'd be right back. He returned to Cameron's office, pulled the door closed and sat down.

"I'd like to give Noah a male and a female doll to play with," Cameron started. "Noah's very quiet and I'm hoping the dolls can help us communicate. For example, I'm hoping as we talk about who touched him where, he can point to the doll and show me instead of having to say it out loud. I'm going to ask him to show me what's happened to him. The dolls are fully capable of performing just about any sex act. It's a way for children to communicate when they don't have the language to explain what happened. I'm thinking a lot of what happened to Noah are things he doesn't understand and things he most likely can't communicate to us. This could help with that. It can be intense but it can also help children express their feelings."

"And the risks?" Gibbs asked, really wishing he didn't have to make the decision.

"Some children experience traumatic responses to the dolls," Cameron said. "For example, it can intensify the nightmares and the bedwetting for several days following the session. It's important that he has a strong support system and I'm confident he has that with you."

Gibbs initial impulse to say no was halted by the possibility of making things easier on Noah. The little boy hadn't spoken to him much about what had happened and what the doctor was saying had made sense. He couldn't even begin to imagine how confused the child was. "Can I be in the room with him for it?"

"Sure," Cameron said.

There was another long, silent pause before Gibbs finally agreed to try it. He wasn't completely sold on the idea but more than anything he wanted to help Noah and if this was a way to accomplish that, he was willing to give it a shot. He said his goodbyes to the doctor, scheduled an appointment for the following week then he, Noah and Ducky headed back to NCIS, stopping for donuts and chocolate milk on the way.

* * *

><p>Christina shivered in the cool of the night as she watched Gibbs and Noah through the window. They'd had dinner, Noah had had a bath, they'd either played a board game or worked a puzzle at the dining room table, she couldn't tell which, and now they were just settling in to watch a movie. Christian couldn't believe it. Her son didn't deserve to do anything fun. He didn't deserve the nice dinner he was fed, he didn't deserve to be clean, he didn't deserve to sit on the couch and enjoy an entertaining movie. That child was evil. He had his evil father's blood running through his veins. He caused pain and suffering to everyone he met. He didn't deserve anything nice, he didn't deserve to do anything fun. He was definitely going to have to pay.<p>

As she shivered in the cold, she plotted. Originally she'd considered killing both of them with a bomb or a fire but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that would be giving them an easy out. Fear would haunt Noah and torture him much more than even the most painful death. She decided to kidnap her son, justifying that it wasn't kidnapping at all. Noah was her boy after all. In her mind she had every right to punish him however she saw fit. The boy was a danger to society. Nobody knew it yet but she was saving them from him, from what he would do in the future. She was the true hero.

All in all her plan was starting to come together quite nicely. She'd been staking out the house for the past few days, writing down everything from what time they arrived home to what time they went to bed. She was anxious to strike but forced herself to wait for the perfect opportunity. Gibbs was good, she knew she would only get one shot and she wasn't going to waste it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Please Gibbs," Abby begged. "Please, please, please, please!"

"Abs, I haven't seen him all day," Gibbs said.

"What if I bring him to see you after I pick him up," Abby interrupted. "Then we'll come right home after the store. I promise."

Gibbs sighed as he looked up at Abby. "Alright," he reluctantly agreed.

Abby clapped her hands together and squealed in delight. She hurried around Gibbs' desk and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a quick hug. "Thank you so much, Gibbs!"

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs muttered, kissing her forehead before she hurried off towards the elevator. Noah's birthday was on Saturday and Gibbs was determined to make it as special as possible. In addition to planning a big birthday party for Saturday afternoon, he'd also gotten permission for Noah to bring cupcakes to share with the daycare children on Friday. When Abby learned of his plans to buy cupcakes from one of the local bakeries her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She'd insisted on coming over and baking the treats together with Noah but first they had to go to the store and get some cake mix. As much as Gibbs loved picking up his little boy from daycare, he agreed to let Abby pick him up that night as long as she brought him by so he could see him before they left for the store.

Abby skipped through the halls, bopping her head back and forth as she hummed a happy tune, smiling and waving at the other children and their parents as she passed them. She introduced herself to the daycare worker and showed them her photo ID, happy to find that Gibbs had just called down to let them know she'd be picking Noah up that night.

"How come you is here?" Noah asked as Abby helped him with his shoes. "Where is Gibbs?"

"He's just upstairs," Abby assured him. "We're going to go see him right now and then we get to do something super special."

"What?" Noah asked curiously.

"You know how your birthday is in two days?" Abby asked. Noah nodded. "Tonight, you and I are going to make some cupcakes for you to share with your friends at school tomorrow."

"How come?" Noah asked.

"Because it's your birthday, Silly," Abby answered.

Noah shrugged his shoulders. He didn't see what the big deal was. He didn't really understand what a birthday was. He pulled a picture he'd colored out of his cubby and held onto it while Abby retrieved everything else that was in there and put it into his backpack.

"You ready?" she asked. Noah nodded and grabbed her hand then the two headed back towards the bullpen where Gibbs was waiting for them.

"There's my little boy," he said lifting Noah up and kissing his head. "How was school?"

"I maked this for you," Noah said shyly as he handed Gibbs the picture he'd spent the morning coloring.

"Thank you very much," Gibbs said looking at the artwork. "I'm going to hang it right here," he said tacking it to the board behind his desk. "Now everybody can see what a good artist you are." He gave Noah another kiss as he hugged him tightly. "Abby's going to take you to the store to pick out some cupcakes for you guys to make tonight."

"Is her gonna bring me home?" Noah asked.

"Yep," Gibbs said, "when you guys get home we'll eat some dinner then you can cook the cupcakes."

"You don't cook cupcakes, Gibbs," Abby pointed out, "you bake them."

"Cook, bake, same difference," Gibbs said.

"Actually, they're two totally different things," Abby started. When she saw the look Gibbs was giving her, she decided to drop it.

"Ok, Buddy," Gibbs said turning his attention to Noah, "I want you to pick any kind of cake mix you want. Can you do that for me?" Noah nodded his head and peeked over at Abby. "Abby's going to help you and I'll see you both really soon when you get home."

"Can Qwert come?" Noah asked.

"Sure," Gibbs said, "but he might have to wait in the car while you're in the store. We wouldn't want him to get lost."

"Kay." Gibbs kissed Noah's forehead then stood the little boy in front of him. "Come on, Qwert," Noah said grabbing his baby turtle then taking Abby's hand.

Abby and Noah talked about school the entire way to the grocery store. Noah told her all about his best friend Matty, and how his teachers at this school were nice to him unlike his teachers at Tyler Elementary. He told her about learning his ABCs and all the fun books they got to read throughout the day. He told her how sometimes he and Matty trade their sandwiches or the snacks their parents pack in their lunches. From the way the four year old was talking it was clear he liked his new school much better than he had liked his old school.

Abby parked her car in the grocery store parking lot and she and Noah got out and headed into the store. They found the baking aisle and Abby lifted Noah into her arms so he could see his choices better. "Which one looks good?" she asked.

Noah looked at the wide variety in front of him and was a little overwhelmed. "I dunno," he said. "There's lots."

"There are a lot," Abby agreed. "Let's try to narrow it down. Do you like chocolate or vanilla?"

Noah shrugged. He was too ashamed to tell Abby he'd never had cake before. He had no idea what kind he liked or what any of them tasted like.

"Strawberry?" Abby asked. "Red velvet? Lemon supreme? Pineapple? Fudge marble?"

"I don't know," Noah whispered.

Abby saw he was getting stressed out and hugged him closer. "Noah, have you ever had a piece of cake before?"

Noah sucked his lower lip into his mouth and started chewing on it. Abby pulled his lip out from between his teeth and looked into his blue eyes. "I want you to pick," he said.

Abby leaned in and pressed a kiss to Noah's cheek, her heart breaking. "Okay," she said. She looked over the cake mixes and grabbed the funfetti cake mix. "How about sprinkles? Lots of kids like sprinkles." Noah nodded and Abby handed him the box. "I think we should get one more." She looked over the choices then grabbed the devil's food cake mix. "Let's try a chocolate one too. How does that sound?" Noah nodded as he took the second box from her and looked at it. Both looked good. He wasn't sure which one he wanted to try.

Abby grabbed two tubs of frosting then she and Noah headed for the cashier to check out. The express line was empty so she was able to get checked out, pay and leave rather quickly. Although the thought saddened her, her excitement escalated when she suspected this was going to be Noah's first time to have cake.

Gibbs had already changed his clothes, got some burger going and was cutting up vegetables for tacos when Abby and Noah got home. Noah was still struggling with trying to use silverware but finger foods always disappeared from his plate rather quickly. On top of that, it had been a beautiful, warm, fall day, perfect for having tacos in Gibbs' opinion. While Noah disappeared to the bathroom, Abby joined Gibbs in the kitchen.

"Need any help?" she asked.

"Yeah, will you bake us some Spanish rice?" Gibbs asked, hiding his smirk.

"You don't bake rice, Gibbs!" Abby scolded. "You cook—" she stopped when she realized he was teasing her and turned around and playfully smacked his arm. Gibbs just laughed. Abby looked around to make sure Noah hadn't snuck in before revealing what she'd learned at the store. "I don't think Noah's ever had cake before," she said quietly.

"Really?" Gibbs asked. "Did he have trouble at the store?"

"No," Abby said, "no trouble. He just didn't know which cake he liked. He asked me to pick."

"As shocking as that is, it doesn't really surprise me," Gibbs said.

"Daddy?"

Gibbs stopped chopping and looked down at Noah, up at Abby then back at Noah. "What Son?"

"I can't find Qwert," Noah said sadly. "Him is lost."

"Did you bring him in with you from the car?" Gibbs asked as he resumed chopping.

Noah thought hard for a minute. "Uh, I don't think I did. I will go look."

"Nope, hold up, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "I don't want you going out there by yourself."

"I'll go," Abby offered. "The rice is all set, it just has to boil. You keep cutting veggies."

"Thanks Abs," Gibbs said.

Much to Noah's relief, Abby returned with Squirt. He took his turtle into the living room and sat down to play with his toy cars using some of Gibbs' books to create a track, while Gibbs and Abby finished dinner.

"Did you tell him to call me Daddy?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Abby said shaking her head. "Tony had a talk with him on Tuesday when you were in the elevator with Ducky. He told him that you were kind of like our dad. Maybe that's where he got it," she suggested.

"He asked me down in Mexico if I was going to be his dad now," Gibbs said. "He never called me that before though."

"Aw," Abby said, "he is such a little cutie!" She paused and looked over at Gibbs. "How does it feel to be called daddy again?" she asked gently.

"It's, uh, it's different," Gibbs admitted, "but I'm honored."

"You're the best dad ever, Gibbs," Abby said moving over next to him and wrapping an arm around him. "We're all lucky to have you."

Gibbs kissed Abby's head then rested his head on hers while he continued chopping. "I'm the lucky one, Abs," he said.

After they ate and everything was cleaned up and put away, Gibbs headed into the living room to drink his coffee and read the newspaper while Abby and Noah got started on their cupcakes. Casey, the head teacher, had given Gibbs an estimate of thirty cupcakes to include all the teachers and kids so Abby decided to send half chocolate and half sprinkles and take the rest so the team to go down and celebrate with the kids as well. The big, official party would be at the bowling alley on Saturday but it didn't hurt to have more than one celebration, especially if Noah had never had a birthday party before.

Abby stood Noah in a chair in front of the counter and helped him measure and pour all the ingredients in the mixing bowl then they mixed it together. Even as hard as he was focused on doing his tasks perfectly, Noah still seemed to be having fun. He and Abby scooped the batter into the cupcake trays and put them in the oven then got started on the second box of cake mix.

By the time they were done mixing the second box of cake mix, their first batch of cupcakes was done and ready to come out of the oven. Abby pulled the cupcakes out and put them on the table to cool then they filled the trays again to bake their second batch. Once the first batch had cooled, the two got to work frosting them then they each ate one. When the noise in the kitchen quieted and Gibbs started smelling cake, he headed in to investigate how things were going.

"Hi Gibbs," Abby said cheerfully. "Whatcha doing?"

"Checking on you two," Gibbs said. "You're not in here eating all the cupcakes, are you?" he asked, winking at them.

"No!" Abby exclaimed incredulously. "We wouldn't do that."

"So these cupcake crumbs on Noah's shirt," Gibbs said as he lifted his little boy up and brushed the crumbs off, "how'd those get there?"

"I eated one," Noah confessed quietly. "Abby sayed I can. Did I be'd bad?"

"No, you weren't bad, Baby Boy," Gibbs said with a smile. "Was it yummy?"

Noah nodded his head and relaxed into Gibbs' embrace once he realized he wasn't in trouble. Abby filled the sink with dishwater and started doing the dishes while they waited for their second batch to finish. Gibbs enjoyed one of the cupcakes then took over washing the dishes while Abby and Noah frosted the rest of the cupcakes.

Once they were done, Gibbs and Noah thanked Abby for her help, Gibbs kissed her goodnight then she was on her way. Gibbs took Noah upstairs for a quick bath before bedtime. It was a little past his bedtime but knowing he'd had a fun evening made it all worth it. After bath time and story time, Gibbs tucked Noah in, kissed his forehead and left him and Squirt to sleep.

* * *

><p>Noah was moving slow on Friday morning when Gibbs got him up. His late night with Abby had caught up to him. When he remembered he got to take cupcakes in to share with the other kids he started to perk up. After they were ready to go, Gibbs loaded up the car and they were off to the diner they stopped at almost every morning.<p>

"Morning Elaine," Gibbs said sitting Noah on a barstool then plopping down next to him.

"Morning," Elaine greeted warmly, a cup of coffee already in front of him and being filled. "What can I get for the little one?"

"Well, tomorrow's Noah's birthday so he's going to need something real special," Gibbs answered.

"How about some hot chocolate with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a few chocolate chips sprinkled on top?" Elaine suggested.

"What do you think, Bud?" Gibbs asked. "Does that sound good?"

Noah shrugged. He wasn't sure what Elaine was suggesting. He would've been happy with a glass of water. He knew those didn't cost money. Gibbs patted Noah's back as he nodded at Elaine to make the drink. "I'll get him all sugared up before I drop him off at daycare," Gibbs said. "They should love me for that."

"I can't imagine your little guy ever causing any problems," Elaine said.

Gibbs and Noah enjoyed their early morning caffeine kick before heading to NCIS. When he got his wallet out to pay for their drinks, he handed Noah two crisp one dollar bills.

"What this is for?" he asked.

"That's for your lunch," Gibbs answered. "I heard that it's pizza day at your school."

"I can have pizza?" Noah asked happily.

"You sure can," Gibbs said. Noah tucked the bills away in his pocket then followed Gibbs back out to the car with a smile on his face. He hadn't told Gibbs about pizza day and even though he really wanted to have the pizza lunch with the other kids, he hadn't asked Gibbs for the money. He knew money didn't grow on trees and he knew he didn't deserve it. His mother would've never even considered letting him have two dollars.

Once they made it to school, Noah proudly paid his teacher for the pizza and told her which kind he wanted. Gibbs hugged him and kissed him goodbye then headed off to get to work while Noah played.

Abby was the first one ready at lunchtime, practically jumping up and down while she waited for the team to pause what they were doing so they could all go celebrate Noah's birthday with the daycare kids. She led the way through the building talking incessantly about his upcoming party.

The agents, teachers and kids all sang happy birthday to a slightly embarrassed Noah then Abby helped him pass out the cupcakes they'd made the night before to the teachers, children and Gibbs' team. He quickly became the hero among the other kids as he supplied them with the sugary treats after their pizza lunch. The teachers weren't looking forward to trying to put the kids down for their naps after that but the look of pure joy on Noah's face was well worth it. The little boy had never felt so liked by other children and he was reveling in every minute of it.

* * *

><p>Noah was unusually quiet on Saturday morning, even for him. He seemed lost but Gibbs couldn't figure out why and Noah didn't want to talk about it. He knew his birthday party was coming up and he was scared to death about who was going to be there, what he had to do and what was going to be done to him. By the time Gibbs put him in the car late that morning and was driving to the bowling alley, the little boy couldn't keep his silence anymore.<p>

"I'm 'cared," Noah said hugging his turtle tight.

"You don't have to be scared, Buddy," Gibbs said. "It's your birthday party; it's going to be fun. I promise."

"A kid in my class at my old school haved a birthday," Noah said, "but I had to sitted in time out."

"Now it's your turn to have a birthday," Gibbs said.

"Is it gonna hurt?" Noah asked.

"Not at all," Gibbs said with a smile. "Ducky, Tony, Ziva, Tim, Abby, Jimmy and your new friend Matty are going to be there. We're going to bowl and eat pizza and hot dogs and drink soda then we'll go home and have cake and ice cream and open some presents."

"I don't know how a bowl," Noah admitted.

"That's okay," Gibbs said. "We're going to show you."

"Can Qwert come too?" Noah asked.

"Yep," Gibbs said as he pulled into the parking lot, "Squirt can come to the party too."

Noah's fear of the unknown was causing his entire body to shake. Gibbs couldn't have hated Christina Tate anymore at that point for what she'd done to her son. The only place Noah really felt comfortable and safe was hiding under the bed or tucked away in the closet. He was getting a little better but he was still terrified of the world around him.

"You are going to have so much fun at your party," Gibbs assured him as he lifted him out of the car, "I promise."

"Is you gonna leave me here?" Noah asked.

"Have I ever left you anywhere?" Gibbs asked closing the car door and hitting the lock button. Noah shook his head. "That's right and I'm not going to leave you here either. I would be very sad if you weren't with me when I left."

The bowling alley was split into two different sections with a snack bar and arcade games separating them. The section open to the public was filled with happy families and loud music. Noah's birthday party was being held on the opposite side which they had all to themselves. With the exception of Matty, the rest of the group was already there. They'd shown up early to hang some streamers and balloons and get everything set up.

"There's the birthday boy!" Tony cheered. He took Noah from Gibbs and spun him around before pulling him in close and kissing his temple. Tony had never been abused to the extent Noah was but he could identify with feeling unwanted. He spent more time away at boarding school than he did with his father and that had taken a toll on him, even though he never spoke about it. "What's the matter?" he asked quietly. "How come you're shaking?"

"I don't know what I a'ppose a do," Noah whispered back, his teeth chattering from fear.

"You're supposed to have lots of fun," Tony whispered back kissing the little boy's cheek. "I just ordered the pizzas. You're gonna love it! Pepperoni, sausage, extra cheese, it's heavenly. And we'll have hot dogs and French fries and maybe some nachos but we can't eat too much here because when we get home we're gonna have cake and ice cream! Pretty exciting, huh?"

"I don't know," Noah said looking around at the group. The all told him happy birthday and rubbed his back or patted his head. Matty arrived shortly after Gibbs and Noah had and Gibbs arranged for someone to drop him off at his house after the party. Tony and Jimmy helped Noah chose a bowling ball that wouldn't be too heavy for him to get down the lane. Ducky and Gibbs bowled on the same lane as Matty and Noah with bumpers while the younger group bowled on the lane right next to them with no bumpers.

The group spent the next couple hours eating and bowling and having a good time. Once Noah got the hang of what he was supposed to do he relaxed and started having fun. Gibbs got the impression from watching him carry on with Matty that if the teachers didn't already, they were going to have their hands full with the boys. He was overjoyed that his son had made a friend.

After bowling a few games and eating entirely too much junk food, they packed up and headed for Gibbs' house. Tim and Abby left first to make a quick pit stop on their way over, leaving everyone else to do a quick clean up at the bowling alley before leaving. After everyone made it to the house, they decided to open presents first since they were all still pretty full from all the snacks at the bowling alley.

Noah sat staring at the pile of gifts in the living room. "Go ahead, pick one," Gibbs encouraged.

Noah laid across Gibbs' lap and buried his face in his new father's leg. "Why?" he mumbled.

"Because it's your birthday," Gibbs said rubbing his back, "and people bring you presents on your birthday."

"I too m'barassed," Noah said with his face still buried.

"You pick one out and I'll help you open the first one," Gibbs said.

"I got you this one!" Matty said holding up one of the gifts.

Noah looked around the room and felt self-conscious with everyone watching him. He took the gift from Matty and whispered thank you before retreating back to Gibbs. Gibbs pulled his little boy up into his lap and held him close. "Rip the wrapping paper off," Gibbs instructed.

Noah carefully unwrapped his gift, well aware that all eyes in the room were on him. Inside he found a rocket ship almost identical to the ones he and Matty played with at the daycare. "Wow! Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Matty said, perched happily in Abby's lap.

"Alright, pick another one," Gibbs said.

Noah opened his gifts to find a wide variety of books from Ducky and Jimmy, a hot wheels racecar track set from Tony, a large collection of art supplies from Abby, a remote control hummer from Tim, and a few board games from Ziva including Sorry, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and Trouble. Gibbs disappeared into the basement and brought up the two wheeled bike with training wheels and helmet he'd got Noah then, just when Noah thought his day couldn't get any better, Abby went out to her car to get the present she and Tim had stopped to pick up on their way over.

"This one's from your dad," Tim explained while Abby was out front, "Abby just helped him pick it out."

"Actually it's from Grandpa Mike," Gibbs said, "he wanted to make sure you got it."

"Grandpa Mike getted me a present too?" Noah asked anxiously watching the front door.

"Yep," Gibbs said. "Grandpa Mike really loves you."

Noah smiled at the thought as the front door opened. Abby walked in with a very large, light colored golden retriever. The little boy backed into Gibbs' legs. "Where did a doggy come from?" he asked with wide eyes.

"That's your birthday present from your grandpa," Gibbs said.

"For me?" Noah asked in amazement.

"Uh-huh," Gibbs said. "Do you want to go say hello?"

"It looks like Sadie," Noah said as Gibbs held his hand and led him over to the dog.

"A little bit," Gibbs said. "His fur is a little bit longer though."

"What its name is?" Noah asked.

"He's your doggy," Gibbs said. "You're going to have to pick a name for him."

Noah reached his hand out and the dog happily licked it making Noah giggle. "Is him a boy dog or is him a girl dog?"

"He's a boy dog," Gibbs answered.

"I think I will call him," Noah paused and looked at the dog, "Cowt!"

"Say it a little bit slower, Buddy," Gibbs said, not quite able to understand him.

"Sss—Ssccc—Ska—Scout," Noah sounded out. He looked up at Gibbs and smiled proudly. "I sayed it!"

"You did," Gibbs said hugging his little boy. "You did real good."

Abby let the dog off the leash then stood by Gibbs while Noah and Matty pet the animal. "That dog is huge, Abs," Gibbs whispered.

"I know," Abby said, "but he is so perfect. You'll see! I promise! I searched shelters and rescue sites and the internet and this dog is the best. He's only one year old but he won't get any bigger, he's completely potty trained, up to date on all his shots, neutered, he knows how to sit, lay down, roll over, shake hands, play dead and walk on a leash and he is so gentle and calm."

"I trust you, Abby," Gibbs said. "Thank you for picking him out."

"You're welcome," Abby said. "Thank you for letting me get a rescue pet. There are so many that need forever homes."

Gibbs pulled Abby into a hug then kissed her cheek. He headed into the kitchen to put the candles on the cake while Ducky gathered everyone around the dining room table. They sang happy birthday and Noah blew out the candles on his first try.

After cake and ice cream, Tony, Abby, Tim, Ziva and Jimmy took Noah, Matty and Scout out into the backyard to play while Gibbs and Ducky got the house straightened up. The birthday party had been a success. It appeared Noah had had fun, his new friend from school had come and also had fun and with the help of his team, Gibbs was sure it was a day Noah wouldn't soon forget.

The party started wrapping up by the time early evening rolled around. Tony and Ziva offered to drop Matty off at home on their way. Tim and Abby left together followed by Ducky and Jimmy leaving Gibbs, Noah and Scout to relax.

"Are you hungry, Kiddo?" Gibbs asked. "Do you want me to make you some dinner?"

Noah shook his head and rubbed his stomach. "I think I eated too much," he said.

"Does your tummy hurt?" Gibbs asked resting the back of his hand on Noah's forehead.

"No," Noah said, "it just is full."

"Why don't we take Scout on a walk," Gibbs suggested. "Then we can walk off some of that junk food we ate."

"Can I hold him's leash?" Noah asked.

"After I make sure he's not going to drag you around the block without me," Gibbs said.

* * *

><p>Christina settled in outside of the house across the street from Gibbs' house. It was Saturday, the last night she was planning on watching them. Sitting around behind a bush all night, watching and waiting was growing old. She was growing bored with it but she had a week's worth of data recorded and she felt like that was enough. She'd been overly careful, always parking on different streets, always making sure she wasn't seen slipping in behind the bush and always making sure she had a reason ready for why she was there in case she ever ran into anyone.<p>

As she watched that Saturday, she started planning the kidnapping. She was confident in her ability to pick the lock on the front door and she knew if she came between two and four o'clock in the morning, everyone was sure to be sleeping. She knew she could easily overpower Noah so as long as she was quiet and she felt confident in her ability to get in and get out undetected. She was sure as long as she was aware and smart, she wouldn't run into any problems.

She watched curiously as the front door opened. It was already getting dark and nearing the time Noah was usually put down for bed. She wondered what was going on. Her mouth fell open and she cursed silently when she saw the large dog with them. Where did it come from? Why was it there? What was going on? With a dog around she was going to have to totally rethink her plans. Frustration began to set in but she was determined not to let the dog or anything else stop her. She had no problem with killing it if it got in her way.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Noah's second meeting with his therapist came almost a week after his first. Gibbs had rearranged his schedule so he could take his little boy home after the Tuesday afternoon appointment. He was a little stressed and unsure about how Noah was going to react to the anatomically correct dolls and having to relive that horrific part of his life. If his boy had any problems, Gibbs wanted to be readily available, not have to pawn him off on the daycare workers or try to work a case around him.

Casey, the head of the daycare program, informed Gibbs about how well Noah was adjusting. She was still slightly concerned he may have a mild case of dyslexia but it was too soon to do anything other than prepare for the possibility. Other than that the little boy was settling in just fine, making friends, following directions and having fun.

When Noah saw Gibbs was there, he said goodbye to Matty then walked slowly over to the special agent. He wasn't looking forward to the appointment anymore than Gibbs was. He didn't like talking about the things Cameron wanted him to talk about and he hated that Gibbs had been kicked out of the room last time. On top of that, Gibbs had told him all about the special dolls he was going to get to play with during his next session. He wasn't too sure how he felt about that.

"There's my Little Man!" Gibbs said happily as he lifted his child into his arms and kissed his cheek. "How was your day?"

"Is we going home?" Noah asked, ignoring Gibbs' question.

"Not yet," Gibbs said. He carried Noah over and sat him down in front of his cuddy. "First we're going to see Cameron, remember?" He handed Noah his tennis shoes then filled the little boy's backpack with the papers he'd collected over the course of the day.

Noah looked up at Gibbs, his blue eyes troubled. "I wanna go home," he said quietly, almost pleading. "I want Cowt." The little boy's head fell and he slouched over, frustrated with his inability to say certain words.

"Watch me, Noah," Gibbs encouraged. "Watch my mouth. S-cou-t," he said annunciating each sound and exaggerating the movements of his mouth.

"Sss—I want SScc.. Scout." Despite Noah's success, his body language showed defeat.

Gibbs could tell just by looking at him how tired Noah was. He shouldered the small blue camo backpack then stood and lifted Noah into his arms. "We'll go see Scout as soon as we're done talking to Cameron," he said. "I promise. Did you take a nap today?"

Noah nodded. "I taked a nap," he said.

"Did you have nightmares?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Noah glanced nervously up at Gibbs before hiding his face in his hands. Sometimes his nightmares were so bad he felt more tired when he woke up than he was when he went to bed and this was one of those days. It didn't help that Gibbs wasn't there to comfort him when he woke. His teachers at daycare were nice enough but they weren't Gibbs. Their arms were as big and strong, they didn't smell of coffee and sawdust, their voices weren't as deep and their kisses weren't the same. As Gibbs carried him out to the car, the little boy simply enjoyed feeling safe and loved.

Cameron was still in with his previous patient when Gibbs and Noah arrived. While they waited Gibbs sat down with Noah in his lap and read him one of the storybooks lying on the table. Noah let himself relax as he listened to all the fun voices Gibbs was using and looked at the pictures filling the pages. Cameron said goodbye to his patient then waited until Gibbs and Noah were finished with the story before calling them back.

Noah remembered their last visit when he sat with his face buried in Gibbs' shirt. He remembered how Cameron had made Gibbs leave that time so this time he sat facing the therapist, holding tightly to Gibbs' fingers that were wrapped around his midsection.

"How are we doing this week, guys?" Cameron asked as he grabbed his notebook and sat in the chair across from them.

"We had a good week," Gibbs said when it became clear Noah wasn't going to answer. "Noah, why don't you tell Cameron what you got for your birthday?"

A smile found its way onto Noah's face at the memory. "Daddy gotted me a bike!" he said, perking right up. "And Grandpa getted me a doggy!"

"Really?" Cameron asked, matching the child's excitement. "What's the doggy's name?"

Noah took a deep breath and thought hard before he answered. "Sss… Scooouut."

"Scout, that is a very cool name," Cameron said. "Did you pick it out all by yourself?" Noah nodded proudly, still smiling.

With Noah relaxed, Cameron decided it was time to get started. He put his notebook aside and relaxed in his chair. "Noah, today we're going to play with some different toys than we played with last week. I have some very special dolls that when undressed have all the parts your body has."

"Daddy telled me," Noah admitted. The smile on his face was exchanged for the same tight lipped, serious expression the five year old had come in with.

"Sometimes it's easier for kids to use the dolls to show adults what happened instead of using their words," Cameron explained. He opened the small cabinet next to his desk and pulled out what Noah perceived to be a mommy, daddy and a little boy doll.

Noah tightened his grip on Gibbs' finger and watched intently as Cameron laid the clothed dolls on the small table between them. Gibbs stood his little boy next to the table and watched. Noah looked at the dolls then looked up at Cameron and back at Gibbs. "What I a'pposed a do?" he asked nervously.

"Whatever you'd like to do," Cameron answered. He didn't want to lead the shy little boy in one direction or another. He was more interested to see what Noah was going to do. "You can't do anything wrong here, Noah," he encouraged. "You're not going to get in trouble and you're not going to mess up. You can do anything you want."

Noah cocked his head at the doctor and shrugged before looking back at the three dolls on the table. He and Matty played with baby dolls at school sometimes but that was different; there were no adults standing over him expecting something out of him. He picked up the older male doll by the foot using only his thumb and forefinger and holding it away from himself as if it were going to harm him. "Does him has a dick?"

"Yes," Cameron answered calmly.

Noah's eyes grew wide and he let the doll fall to the table with a thud. He saw enough naked people in his nightmares, the last thing he wanted to do was play with naked baby dolls and he knew that's what Cameron was wanting him to do. He stared at the three dolls lying on the table in horror. As fear took over he gave them all a quick and violent shove towards Cameron then started backing away. He jumped when he ran into Gibbs' legs but quickly scurried into the agent's lap and buried his face in Gibbs' chest. He didn't care if the doctor tried to send Gibbs away because of it. There was no way he was letting go this time.

"Talk to me, Noah," Cameron said watching the boy's behavior closely. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Gibbs wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to be doing but there was no way he was going to let his child sit there, terrified and not comfort him. He wrapped his arms around Noah and held him tight as he kissed the top of his head. "You're safe here, Noah," he assured him. "Nobody's going to hurt you. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I want— I don't— Can we— I-I-I want— I wanna leave," Noah said obviously very disturbed.

Gibbs wanted nothing more than to grant his little boy's wish but he knew it would be better if they finished the session. Cameron had already tucked the dolls away back in their cabinet and was waiting while Gibbs tried to comfort the boy. "We can go home really soon, Buddy, but we need to talk to Cameron for a little while longer. You don't have to see the dolls anymore. Cameron already put them away."

"Let's do something different, Noah," Cameron said trying to refocus the attention of his young patient. "How would you like to draw a picture?"

When Noah didn't respond Gibbs started running his hand soothingly up and down his boy's back. "The dolls are gone, Baby Boy," he said, "you don't have to play with them." He leaned down and kissed the top of Noah's head. "Let's draw some pictures and then we'll go home and see Scout."

"Promise?" Noah asked, looking up at Gibbs. It was clear he'd had just about enough for one day.

Gibbs nodded. "I promise," he said, running his thumb over the boy's cheek.

Noah took a deep breath then peeked behind him to make sure the dolls really were gone. When he didn't see them he climbed down off of Gibbs' lap and picked up one of the markers Cameron had set out. Cameron passed the little boy a piece of paper and watched as Noah started absently scribbling.

Gibbs could see the stress in Noah's facial expression and the tension in his little body. He rested his hand on the boy's back, trying to comfort and calm him. The physical contact from Gibbs and reassurance of his presence helped Noah relax. Cameron turned his focus to less stressful topics, wanting Noah to be in a good mood by the time he left. He knew the little boy would be more willing to come back and be open with him if he left on a positive note.

Over the course of their session, Noah went from mindlessly scribbling to actually drawing pictures. His grunts and one word answers had turned to short conversations. He didn't really want to answer Cameron's questions about his home life and how different people treated him or how certain things made him feel but he figured that was better than the alternative. He wanted nothing to do with the dolls. By the time their session ended, Noah seemed to have returned his normal self. Gibbs made an appointment for the following week, said goodbye to Cameron then he and Noah left.

* * *

><p>Christina was typing furiously on her friend's laptop. The small house was silent. It was the middle of the night and her friend had to go to work in the morning so she'd already gone to bed leaving Christina up by herself. Christina was really starting to feel the pressure. Her trial was scheduled to start in less than two weeks and the arrival of the dog at the Gibbs' residence had really messed up her plans. Things had been going perfectly but now she was back at square one.<p>

Her determination not to let anything stand in her way had her up that night searching the internet. She knew if she killed the dog ahead of time that would put Gibbs on alert. If she tried to kill it that night when she broke in, Gibbs was likely to wake up. The dog didn't seem like the type to run off if she were to open the front door for it and she was worried it might start barking if it heard her picking the lock. She knew if Gibbs heard any noise at all it would all be over. Everything had to be perfect.

Her internet search led her to a new product, one she'd never heard of before; a device that was supposed to keep dogs from barking. It was a little on the pricey side but if it worked it'd be well worth the money. Although the dog was large she knew from watching Gibbs and Noah walk him that he was gentle. She knew golden retrievers were generally friendly, trusting and amiable to people they knew as well as strangers. She assumed that if she could keep him quiet and make nice with him she'd be home free. She found a nearby store that carried the device and smiled to herself. Things were back on track.

* * *

><p>Gibbs was on his way to question a witness who was waiting in the conference room when he got a call from Noah's daycare asking him to come down. He wasn't sure what was going on but he could hear Noah crying in the background so he hurried down. When he arrived he found Noah sitting in a chair in the corner, crying hysterically.<p>

"Is he in timeout?" he asked Casey.

"He was," Casey said looking at the child. "I told him he could get up but he refused. I can't get him to calm down."

Gibbs lifted Noah up and the little boy started screaming even louder as he stiffened his body. "No!" he wailed planting his hands on Gibbs' chest and trying to push him away. "No! Don't!"

"Don't what, Noah?" Gibbs asked calmly. "Try to relax, Buddy. You're going to make yourself sick."

"I won't do it again!" Noah screamed his voice hoarse from crying so hard. "I promise!"

"Calm down," Gibbs said, "nobody's going to hurt you." He wondered if Noah was in hysterics because he was worried somebody was going to beat him for whatever he'd done that had caused him to be put in timeout. He finally managed to pull Noah to his chest and patted his back as he gently bounced him. "What happened?" he asked Casey once Noah's screaming subsided enough he could hear.

"Noah and Matty decided they didn't want to wait their turn to play with the army men and instead of playing with the other children that were there, they took the toys away from them," Casey explained. "When I asked them to either play together or wait their turn, they started talking back. Agent Gibbs, I understand some of what Noah's been through but I can't overlook poor behavior. I'll lose control of all the kids here."

"I understand," Gibbs said, "and I don't expect you to let him get away with things because of it. I'm sure there's a way to discipline him effectively." He turned to Noah who was hanging exhaustedly in his arms. The little boy's cries had turned to pitiful moans. Gibbs brushed the tears from his cheeks and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Noah, Baby, look at me. We need to talk." Once he was sure he had the little boy's attention, he continued. "Can you tell me what happened earlier? Can you tell me why you're in timeout?"

"I stealed a toys," Noah confessed through his tears.

"You didn't wait your turn," Gibbs said. "There are lots of other kids here and you have to remember to either play together or wait your turn. You can't just take something away from someone else. You wouldn't like it if someone did that to you, would you?"

"No-oo-o," Noah said in the middle of a big hiccup.

"We still love you, Buddy, but when you forget to follow the rules you have to sit in timeout," Gibbs explained gently.

"Matty haved to too," Noah said finally starting to calm down enough he could speak.

"Yep," Gibbs said drying the little boy's face, "but we still love Matty, right? He's still a good boy and a good friend. This is all part of growing up and learning how to be friends. When we make mistakes we try to learn from them so we can do better the next time."

"I can 'till live with you?" Noah asked.

"You're always going to live with me, Buddy," Gibbs said. "Just because you got in trouble doesn't mean I don't love you anymore. I'll always love you. Nothing you could ever say or do will make me stop loving you and send you away. I promise." He hugged his little boy tightly and kissed the top of his head. "Why don't you go play with Matty and I'll see you in a couple hours when I pick you up."

"Okay," Noah said. Gibbs kissed his head one more time then watched him wander over to where his friend was playing.

"He's kind of had a rough morning," Casey said as they watched Noah sit down next to Matty. "He hasn't been bad but it seems like something's been bothering him today."

"We had a rough visit with his therapist last night," Gibbs explained. "He wanted to use the anatomically correct dolls and I think it scared Noah."

"That explains a few things," Casey said. "Matty and Noah were making their rounds to all the different play stations this morning and unlike a lot of the other kids who only want to play with gender specific toys, the boys have no problem playing with 'girl' toys. We have the baby dolls out at one of our stations right now and I caught Matty trying to undress them which isn't unusual but our dolls clothing doesn't come off. He didn't seem willing to give up so I asked him what was going on. He said Noah wanted to know if the doll had a— well, a little boy part…"

"A dick?" Gibbs quietly interrupted when he saw the teacher stumble over the wording. Casey nodded. "I'm trying to teach him a better word," Gibbs said.

"It's okay," Casey assured him. "We all understand where some of his language came from."

"Would he play with the doll?" Gibbs asked curiously.

"No," Casey said shaking her head. "He almost seemed like he was afraid of it."

Gibbs nodded. "His therapist thought the dolls might help him express things he either didn't have the vocabulary for or just didn't want to talk about but I think it scared him more than anything."

As Gibbs was talking to the teacher, Noah made his way back over to the agent and laid his upper body across Gibbs' legs. "Is you leaving me?" he asked when Gibbs looked down at him.

"I have to go back to work for a little while," Gibbs said brushing the hair from Noah's eyes, "but I'll be back to pick you up before you know it."

"I don't want you to leave me," Noah said.

"I have to, Bud," Gibbs said. "There's somebody waiting to talk to me right now." The little boy yawned as he laid limply on Gibbs' lap making the agent wonder if nightmares had interrupted his naptime again. He thought for a minute while he stroked his hand through Noah's messy blonde hair. "Do you want to sit with your Uncle Tony for awhile, instead of playing down here with your friends?"

Noah nodded and lifted his hands towards Gibbs. The truth was he was kind of tired of playing. He just wanted to sit and be cuddled and loved by someone he felt safe with and if Gibbs couldn't do it, Tony was the next best. His sleep had been plagued with dreams of the things his mother and JP used to do to him and the fear his body experienced during the nightmares was exhausting. Gibbs signed Noah out, collected his belongings then carried him up to the bullpen.

"What's the matter with Tater?" Tony asked, concern coating his voice.

"He's just had a long day," Gibbs answered. "Do you mind watching him while I go talk to our First Lieutenant?"

"My pleasure!" Tony said excitedly as he gently took Noah from Gibbs.

Gibbs kissed his little boy's cheek as he rubbed his back. "I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up S-L-E-E-P-I-N-G," he spelled out.

"Do you want me to let him or keep him up?" Tony asked.

"Go ahead and let him," Gibbs answered. He held up his cell phone and waved it in the air. "Call if you need me." And with that, he was gone.

With Gibbs gone and Noah in his care, Tony switched into supervisor role, pawning off his tasks on Ziva and Tim. Both shot him dirty looks but were patient with him for Noah's sake. The child looked completely drained.

"Wanna watch a movie with me, Tater?" Tony asked holding the child close.

"Where Qwert is?" Noah asked around a yawn.

"Squirt, Squirt, Squirt, Squirt, Squirt," Tony repeated glancing around the bullpen for the turtle. "Ah-ha, he's sitting on Daddy's desk."

"Him wants to watch too," Noah said quietly, resting his head against Tony's chest and yawning again.

Tony retrieved the stuffed turtle then sat down at his desk and turned on _Little Rascals_. He reclined in his chair, propping his feet on his desk and laying Noah across his chest. In a matter of minutes Tony was watching the movie by himself as Noah slept peacefully on his chest while he rubbed his back.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Christina pulled on her black running pants and a black, skintight shirt. She pulled her hair into a bun and tucked it under a black baseball hat. After checking herself over in the mirror she decided she was satisfied with her appearance. She grabbed the dog silencer that she'd purchased and tested out on the dogs in her neighborhood. The device had been a real godsend and instrumental in her plan. With the push of a button it emitted high-pitched sonic and ultrasonic sounds that would keep all dogs in a 300 foot radius quiet. She grabbed the glock 26 one of her drug dealing friends had loaned her and tucked it into the waistband of her pants. It was small, easy to carry and would do the trick if anything went wrong.

She waited until the clock read 2:30 then headed out to the driveway and got into her car. The moon was only a sliver in the sky making it a very dark night. She hadn't planned the kidnapping around the phases of the moon but once again she felt things were working out perfectly for her. She was convinced this was meant to be and some higher power was helping make sure everything went as planned. The roads were clear and in her excitement to get to Alexandria she had to keep reminding herself to drive the speed limit. The last thing she needed was to get pulled over by the police.

When she arrived in Gibbs' neighborhood she drove slowly down his street once, checking everything out. There were no lights on in Gibbs' house or any of the neighboring houses. Everything seemed quiet as people slept peacefully. She circled the block then parked on the street near the special agent's house. Since she would be returning with Noah she wanted her car close and all the doors unlocked so she was ready for a quick getaway.

With one last look around the neighboring houses, she checked to make sure the dog silencer was on then slipped out of the car and moved to the front porch of Gibbs' house. She tried the door handle and found it locked, just as she'd expected. She pulled out her lock picking tools and made quick and quiet work of it. She opened the door just enough she could enter and stepped into the house then stood perfectly still, listening for any sound at all and letting her eyes adjust.

When all was silent she snuck upstairs. Thanks to the blueprints she'd managed to con the county clerk's office out of, she knew which room Gibbs was most likely sleeping in and knew Noah would be in one of the others. Scout came out of one of the bedrooms, telling Christina exactly where Noah was. She let the dog smell her hand then pet him and took a moment to rub his ears and make nice. When he was satisfied, he disappeared down the hall and she continued on her way.

Christina paused in the doorway of Noah's room. She smiled an evil smile when she heard the little boy's deep, even breathing. He was asleep. The dim glow of her flashlight illuminated the floor between the door and the bed. The boy's room was clean. There were no toys scattered about that might make noise if she stepped on them. She tiptoed over to the bed and clamped her hand down over Noah's mouth, pushing his head further into his pillow. Noah woke suddenly and clawed at the hand but it didn't budge and he found himself unable to scream.

"Time to come home to Mommy, you stupid little shit," she whispered harshly. "Do you even know how much trouble you've caused? I hope you enjoyed yourself because fun time is over."

Noah's struggling stopped when he realized it was his mother who was holding him down. He wet the bed for the first time in a long time and his entire body was paralyzed with fear at his current situation. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't move or speak. His mother picked him up, one hand still firmly clasped over his mouth and pulled him to her chest. She made her way back into the hallway, pausing to listen for any noises. One staircase was the only thing that stood between her and freedom. When she didn't hear anything she tiptoed through the hall and down the stairs. She stepped onto the first floor and peered out the door right in front of her. Her heart started beating faster as her excitement built. She was steps away, positive her plan had been successful. Just before she made her escape dark figure stepped between her and the exit.

Gibbs flipped the entryway light on, pointed his gun directly at her head and cocked it. "Give me an excuse," he said, daring her to try something.

Christina released her grip on Noah and the boy fell ungracefully to the floor. He scurried over to Gibbs and the agent moved the child behind him, not once taking his eyes off Christina. "Hands up," he ordered.

The look in her eyes told Gibbs she wasn't going down without a fight. Christina started to raise her hands but quickly changed her mind and went for the gun that was hanging out of the waistband of her pants. Without any hesitation at all Gibbs fired his gun, one shot to the center of her forehead at pointblank range. Christina fell to the floor with a loud thud. Gibbs removed the gun from her waistband and put it aside then checked for a pulse. She was dead. It was all over.

He turned back to Noah who was curled up in the fetal position on the floor with his face buried and his hands covering his ears. "It's okay Baby Boy," he said as he lifted him into his arms and hid the little boy's face in his chest. "It's all over. I've got you." He took Noah into the living room and sat down on the couch. His team had already been paged and were on their way over. Noah sat quietly, rocking himself back and forth in Gibbs' lap while he sucked his thumb.

"You're safe," Gibbs whispered as he rubbed Noah's back and kissed his head. "You're safe, I've got you."

A continuous, quiet moan came out of Noah's mouth. Gibbs wasn't sure if it was the terror leaving his body or if he was hurting from being dropped to the floor. He gently pulled the little boy's thumb out of his mouth and tried to catch his eye. "Noah, look at me, Buddy, look into my eyes." It took him a minute but Noah eventually found Gibbs' eyes. "Good boy," Gibbs praised pulling his child tightly against his chest again. He was sure Noah was in shock but the fact that he was following simple commands made Gibbs feel a little better.

It wasn't long before Jenny, Ducky, Jimmy, Tony, Ziva and Tim arrived. Tony was the first one in the living room, almost knocking the others over to get by them. He knelt in front of Gibbs and Noah and started rubbing Noah's back and running his fingers through the little boy's hair. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened but the emergency call out to Gibbs' house in the middle of the night had terrified him and he'd had trouble keeping himself composed enough to safely be behind the wheel of a car.

"How is he?" Tony asked doing his best to keep his voice calm for Noah's sake. "What happened?"

"He's in shock," Gibbs answered quietly, "but he's okay." He wondered if Tony had even noticed the dead body he'd stepped over in the entryway or if he only had eyes for Noah. He was surprised at how attached his young agent had grown to the five year old in such a short amount of time. "Where's Ducky? I want him to check Noah out."

"Here Jethro," Ducky said walking over. "Mr. Palmer, would you get started on our body, please?"

"Right away, Doctor," Jimmy said.

"Christina broke in, tried to take him," Gibbs explained. "She dropped him on the floor. He hit pretty hard; landed on his left side."

"Let's have a look," Ducky said.

While Ducky looked Noah over, Gibbs ran through the events of the night. Tony took notes while Tim and Ziva started processing the scene and Jimmy started working on the body. Jenny made sure everything that needed to be done was getting done then joined Gibbs on the couch. Ducky couldn't find anything physically wrong with Noah beyond some bumps and bruises. He prescribed some children's Tylenol for soreness as well as a lot of love and cuddling then gave the little boy a clean bill of health.

Tony retrieved a clean pair of pajamas and Noah's baby sea turtle then helped get the little boy changed. He protested when Gibbs sent him off to help Tim and Ziva but ended up reluctantly agreeing, leaving Gibbs, Jenny and Noah alone in the living room.

"I want you and Noah to come stay with me," Jenny insisted.

"We're fine, Jen," Gibbs said still hugging Noah tightly.

"Jethro, Christina came into your house and stole him out of his bed," Jenny said. "There are blood stains covering your entryway. It's a crime scene. You can't stay here. Besides, my house is better than a hotel. Noemi will take care of you so you can take care of Noah." She rubbed Noah's back while Gibbs rocked him and repeatedly kissed his head.

Gibbs looked over at Jenny and nodded his agreement. Jenny gave him a reassuring smile as she stood. "I'll help you pack some things for Noah if you want to pack whatever you'll need."

"Thanks Jen," Gibbs said.

Gibbs and Jenny headed upstairs, Jenny disappearing into Noah's room and Gibbs going down to his own room. He threw some clothing in a bag for himself then went through his bathroom and packed a few essentials all with Noah tucked safely under one arm. The little boy's grip on him was tight, his eyes were empty and his thumb had taken up permanent residence in his mouth. He was terrified.

Jenny threw some of Noah's clothes into his backpack along with the blue fleece blanket the little boy carted with him almost everywhere he went. She added some books and a few toys then met Gibbs in the hall. She and Gibbs worked together to pack Scout's food, grab his water bowl and a few dog toys then decided they had everything they'd need. They said goodbye to the group and headed out.

Instead of taking two cars, Gibbs let Jenny drive so he could sit in the back with Noah and Scout. The large dog laid down in the seat next to them and rested his head on Noah's lap, carefully watching his little boy while Gibbs held the child close, rocking him and doing everything he could to soothe him. Noah hadn't said anything or made any effort to do anything; he'd simply clung to Gibbs as if his life depended on it. Jenny made a quick stop at the corner pharmacy for the children's Tylenol Ducky had recommended so that no one would have to run out later then she headed for Georgetown.

"Do you want to try to lay him down?" Jenny asked quietly once they'd made it inside.

"I'm not really sure what to do with him," Gibbs admitted. "I don't want to leave him alone."

"You're more than welcome to put him down in the guest room if you'd like," Jenny said, "or you can sit down here, maybe watch TV or something."

"I don't think either of us are going to get much sleep after what happened," he told Jenny before turning his attention to Noah. "Noah, do you want to watch TV with me, Kiddo?"

"Cowt," Noah said so quietly his voice was barely audible.

"Scout's right here, Buddy," Gibbs said scooting onto the floor so they were next to the dog. Scout sniffed Noah then gently licked his face. Noah rested his head against Gibbs' chest and let his dog lick him while Gibbs kissed the top of his head.

"I'll go put some coffee on," Jenny said.

* * *

><p>Abby was hysterical when Tony, Ziva and Tim showed up on her doorstep and told her what had happened at Gibbs' house that night. It took all their persuasive skills to convince her that both Gibbs and Noah were okay and that she needed to go with them to NCIS rather than over to Jenny's house.<p>

Abby quickly changed out of her pajamas, grabbed everything she needed then got into the sedan with the three agents. She was so shaky she knew better than to get behind the wheel of her car. The thought of Noah being stolen out of his own bed was overwhelming. She was officially in panic mode, the same as every other time a member of her family had been threatened or hurt.

Tony parked the car close to the building and the somber group stepped out. Even with Christina dead, they all knew she'd done a lot of damage to Noah's mental stability. She'd threatened him in the one place he was supposed to feel safe, his home. Weeks of progress had been undone in a matter of minutes.

"How'd Gibbs know she was there?" Abby asked as they all stepped into her lab and she flipped the lights on.

"Scout," Tony answered. "Gibbs said the dog always sleeps with Noah so when he came down to the basement, he knew something was wrong. Then he heard voices on the baby monitor he keeps downstairs so he can hear Noah if he wakes up during the night."

"Gibbs was up working on his boat and he didn't hear someone enter his house?" Abby asked skeptically. "I don't buy it."

"He fell asleep under his boat, Abs," Tim said. "The dog woke him up then he heard the voices. When he headed upstairs he found the front door cracked open then Tate came downstairs and, well, you know what happened next."

"She almost got away with Noah," Abby said in shock. The rest of the group was quiet, not even wanting to contemplate the thought or what Christina had planned on doing to the little boy.

"On the bright side, now Noah doesn't have to worry about testifying against her," Tony pointed out. "I know that would definitely be less traumatizing than what happened tonight but…" the young agent let his voice trail off.

"I love that you always seem to be able to find something positive no matter what the situation is, Tony," Abby said wrapping her arms around him. Tony hugged the Goth back and kissed the top of her head. Ziva and Tim joined in the hug and they all just held each other for a long moment.

"We better get to work," Tony said, stepping into the leadership role with Gibbs absent. "Gibbs is going to want answers and he's counting on us to give them to him."

The group divided up their tasks and got to work.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry this chapter got so long you guys but I really didn't want to cut any of it or break it up.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

Jenny made sure she had everything she needed before heading into the living room where Gibbs was stretched out on the couch with Noah on his chest. It had taken several hours but the little boy had finally given in and fallen back to sleep and Gibbs hadn't been far behind. Shrek still played softly on the TV as the sound of deep, even breathing filled the air. Jenny hated to wake Gibbs knowing he'd been asleep for less than an hour but she knew he'd most likely go right back to sleep. Gibbs could sleep anywhere at any time. It was almost as if his body had an off switch. Sometimes it made her jealous. She rested her hand on his forehead and he jerked awake.

"It's just me," she whispered. "I'm heading into work. Noemi's here, she knows you guys are in here sleeping. If you need anything just ask her."

"Will you check on my team?" Gibbs whispered back.

"Sure," Jenny said.

Gibbs nodded his thanks to Jenny then looked down at the little boy on his chest. Noah was still sound asleep. Gibbs rested his head on the arm of the couch and closed his eyes once again. Jenny hurried back up the stairs and retrieved a blanket from the linen closet then covered Gibbs and Noah up. She rested her hand on Noah's back and kissed his cheek then brushed Gibbs' hair away from his forehead and kissed him, thinking he was asleep.

"I felt that," Gibbs muttered groggily. Jenny smiled, even though his eyes were closed, and ran her hand down his cheek before heading out to her car.

Noah woke late in the morning, confused, groggy and scared. Silent tears poured onto his cheeks and soon gave way to sobbing. He cried out for the only person he could think of. "Daddy!"

Gibbs was awake in an instant, wrapping Noah in a loving embrace as he sat them up and propped himself against the back of the couch. "It's okay. I've got you." Although it was difficult to see Noah hurting and scared, Gibbs felt it was an improvement from earlier that morning when he seemed almost catatonic. While Noah clung to him, he rubbed his back and bounced him gently.

"I want my blanky," Noah cried.

Gibbs retrieved the blanket from the couch next to them and wrapped it around Noah, pulling it up enough to cover the little boy's head. Scout sat leaning against Gibbs' legs, watching anxiously. He was worried about his boy. Gibbs scooted down on the floor and pulled the blanket away from Noah's face enough that the dog could see him. Scout started licking the tears from his boy's face and Gibbs realized Abby had chosen the perfect the dog. He was a gentle giant and very attentive to Noah's needs.

Noah's cries eased under the cover of his blanket with Gibbs' strong arms wrapped around him and his dog licking his face. He was too terrified to look around and see who was out there but his crying had slowed enough he could speak. "Where we is? Where Mom is?" he asked.

"Remember Jenny?" Gibbs asked. Noah nodded. "We're at her house. Her housekeeper, Noemi, is here with us but that's it."

That made Noah feel brave enough to peek out from under the blanket and glance around the room. Satisfied that they were alone, he repeated his other question. "Where Mom is?"

Gibbs wasn't quite sure what to tell Noah about his mother. He didn't know how much the little boy would be able to comprehend or how the news would affect him. He decided the truth was the best. "Noah, your mom is dead. She can't ever hurt you again."

"Dead?" Noah asked. "For how long?"

"Forever Buddy," Gibbs answered.

"Her is dead forever?" Noah asked.

"Yeah," Gibbs said brushing his thumb over the little boy's cheek, "she'll never ever hurt you again."

"Señor Gibbs," Noemi said, poking her head into the living room, "is everything okay?"

"Yes Noemi," Gibbs said, "everything is fine. Thank you."

"I can make you some food," she offered.

"Are you hungry, Buddy?" Gibbs asked rubbing Noah's back. Noah shook his head. The last thing on his mind was food. "I think we're going to take a bath first, then maybe get something to eat."

"Okay," Noemi said with a comforting smile, "just call if you need anything."

Gibbs nodded at Noemi then turned his attention back to Noah. Noah reached his hand out from under his blanket and rubbed the dog's neck, eliciting more kisses from him. Gibbs took Noah upstairs to the master bathroom, hoping a bath would help him relax. Noah loved playing in the bathtub more than any kid Gibbs had ever known. He often had to insist on him getting out when the water grew cold.

"This is a big bathtub," Noah said, stripping out of his clothes while Gibbs turned the water on to the right temperature.

"It sure is," Gibbs said. It was almost twice as big as his bathtub. He grabbed the bag of Noah's bath toys Jenny had thankfully thought to retrieve and poured some of his bubble bath in while the tub filled. It wasn't long before the bathroom was filled with the scent of watermelon.

Once he was undressed, Noah started adding his toys to the tub one at a time. His excitement grew at the prospect of getting to play in the even larger bathtub. For a moment he forgot all about the events of the previous night. "I can get in now?" he asked once his toys were in the tub.

"Yep," Gibbs said reaching out to steady him, "be careful."

Noah climbed into the large bathtub and moved his toys around so he could sit down. Gibbs let the tub finish filling then turned the water off. He washed Noah's hair while the little boy played then helped Noah wash himself. After he was clean Gibbs sat back and let Noah play while he relaxed. The last twelve hours had been stressful and he was happy to just sit propped up against the wall and try to collect his thoughts while Noah played happily in the bathtub.

Gibbs didn't even realize he'd zoned out until the door to the bathroom opened and Jenny poked her head in. "Everything okay in here?" she asked.

"Yeah," Gibbs said rubbing his face to bring himself out of his daze, "what time is it?"

"Just after noon," Jenny answered. "I had Cynthia reschedule my afternoon meetings. I thought I could work from home today." Gibbs looked at her suspiciously. "Okay, fine, I was worried about you guys," she admitted.

Before Gibbs could respond his phone starting ringing. "Will you keep an eye on him for a minute?" he asked. When Jenny nodded he stepped out of the bathroom to answer the phone.

"How are you doing, Big Guy?" Jenny asked.

Noah looked up at Jenny then towards the door Gibbs had just walked out of. "Where Daddy goed?" he asked.

"He's just out in the hall," Jenny assured him. "He's not going anywhere."

"I think I wanna come out now," Noah said.

"I think it might be about time," Jenny said kneeling next to the tub. "You look like a wrinkly raisin," she said with a smile as she touched the tip of his nose. Noah smiled shyly as he stood and climbed out of the bathtub. Jenny grabbed a fluffy maroon colored towel and wrapped it around the little boy.

"I a'member you," Noah said as he looked up at Jenny.

"I remember you too, Baby," Jenny said. After she pulled the plug in the tub she lifted Noah up and carried him down the hall to the guest bedroom where his things were. While she was dressing him, Gibbs came in and sat down on the bed near where Noah was standing.

"Everything okay?" Jenny asked as she fastened the Velcro on Noah's shorts.

"Grandpa Mike was just calling to check on everybody," Gibbs said rubbing his hand over Noah's wet and messy hair. "He talked to Abby this morning and wanted check-in with me."

"Grandpa?" Noah asked pushing his arms through his shirt sleeves with Jenny's help.

"Your grandpa must love you very much to call and check on you," Jenny said.

Noah looked at Jenny and shrugged. Before he knew what was happening, Gibbs gently pulled him into his arms and playfully planted kisses all over his forehead and cheeks making Noah giggle.

Jenny rubbed the little boy's belly while Gibbs held him. "Have you guys eaten lunch yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," Gibbs said, "we decided on bath time first to try to calm down a little bit. Somebody was a little upset when they woke up."

"Understandably so," Jenny said. "What do you say we go downstairs and have Noemi fix us a bite to eat?"

By the time they got down to the kitchen, Noemi was just pulling out a pan of shredded beef enchiladas. She had a pot with refried beans on the stove and one with Mexican rice and three plates set out at the bar.

"Lunch smells wonderful, Noemi," Jenny said gratefully.

"Thank you Señora," Noemi said.

"I get a sit in a big, big chair?" Noah asked as Gibbs lifted him up to sit at the bar.

"We're all going to sit in the big, big chairs," Gibbs said as he and Jenny sat down on either side of him.

While the group was eating their lunch and making small talk they heard the doorbell. Gibbs looked over at Jenny, wondering if she was expecting anyone and she shrugged, telling him she had no idea who was there. Seconds later Tony appeared in the kitchen.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, somewhat surprised, "what's going on?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be out picking up lunch for the gang but instead I had subs delivered so I could come by and check on my Tater," the young agent said as she rested his hands on Noah's shoulders.

"Have you eaten anything for lunch?" Jenny asked.

"Not yet," Tony said. "I figured I'd grab something on the way back."

"You'll eat with us," Jenny said standing to fix him a plate. Tony thanked her and wrapped his arms around Noah, hugging him.

"Is something wrong?" Noah asked, confused by the attention. He looked up at Tony with questioning eyes.

"Nope," Tony said leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I just had to come check on my little bro. We have to watch out for each other, you know, watch each other's sixes."

"What that means?" Noah asked.

"That means we have to watch each other's backs," Tony said.

Noah smiled as Tony joined them at the bar and briefed Gibbs on the team's progress while they ate. The gun was proving to be difficult to track down so they were still working diligently on that. They spoke with the woman Christina was staying with and she claimed to have no knowledge of the young mother's plans. They did learn that Christina had been going out most nights but never said where she was headed. It didn't take much for them to connect the dots and figure out she was stalking Gibbs and Noah.

Tony and Ziva had spent the morning canvassing Gibbs' neighborhood and found a few people who noticed a new jogger coming around but never gave it a second thought. They'd also found several candy bar wrappers in the bush of the vacant house across the street. After a little digging, Tim and Abby figured out a paperwork mix-up was the reason Gibbs never got a call warning him about Christina's release.

As he got closer to the end of his meal, Tony started eating slower and slower, wanting to drag out his time before he had to leave. "If you want to bring Tater in to work, I'll help you watch him, Boss," Tony offered.

Gibbs smirked, seeing right through Tony. "I think it'd be better to keep him home today," he said.

"You're probably right," Tony said putting the last of his enchilada in his mouth. He wiped his hands and face with his napkin then held his arms out to Noah. "Do you have a goodbye hug for me, Munchkin?" he asked. Noah smiled and climbed into Tony's lap. Tony cuddled him for a moment and kissed the top of his head before reluctantly handing him back to Gibbs. "I guess I should get back."

"Let me know when you guys find out about the gun," Gibbs said.

"Will do, Boss," Tony said. "Thanks for lunch." He saluted them goodbye and smiled one more time at Noah then he was gone.

"He'll be back," Gibbs said with a slight laugh.

Gibbs and Jenny decided to take Noah to the park for an afternoon walk to get some fresh air and exercise. They packed a Frisbee, a soccer ball and a large blanket to spread out in the grass to sit on. Noemi packed a few water bottles and some crackers to snack on then they grabbed Scout, climbed into Jenny's SUV and they were off.

The park was a little bit of a local secret, leaving it unpopulated even for a Friday afternoon. Noah was very clingy to Gibbs, not wanting to leave his side so Gibbs and Jenny decided to walk around one of the paths. They each took one of his hands and started off towards the trees.

The fresh air and paths free of other people quickly relaxed Noah. It wasn't long before he was hopping and skipping around and giggling as Gibbs and Jenny swung him through the air. Scout walked next to them, not even needing a leash. Noah chose colorful leaves lying along the trail to give Gibbs and Jenny, chased after squirrels with Scout and watched the birds. They hiked to the end of the park with the playground equipment and Gibbs laid out the blanket for him, Jenny and the dog while Noah ran off to play.

Gibbs laid down on the blanket, propping himself up on one arm and Scout sat down at his feet, both watching Jenny push Noah on the swing. When Noah got tired of swinging, he started climbing on the jungle gym and Jenny sat down on the blanket next to Gibbs.

"He seems relaxed," Jenny said.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs said as he looked on. "I think he'll be okay."

"With you on his side, he's going to be fine," Jenny said with a smile.

When Noah grew bored playing by himself, he headed over to the blanket where Gibbs was laying and Jenny and Scout were sitting. "Did you get lonely?" Jenny asked wrapping her arms around the little boy and pulling him into a hug. Noah nodded his head and tried to reach out to touch Gibbs, throwing Jenny off balance enough she fell backwards on him. Gibbs grunted when her head hit his stomach making Noah giggle.

"You think that's funny?" Jenny teased as she sat up. Noah nodded, still giggling. "I think we need to get your daddy," she whispered.

"What we do to him?" Noah asked.

"I think we should tickle him," Jenny whispered.

"Will him get mad?" Noah asked.

"I don't think he'll ever get mad at you, Baby," Jenny said hugging the little boy once again. "Now, let's tickle Daddy."

Noah poked Gibbs' stomach then waited to see if he was going to yell at him. When he laughed, Noah poked him again. The more Noah poked him the more Gibbs laughed. Before the little boy knew what was happening, Gibbs swept him off his feet, laid him down next to him and started tickling him. Noah's giggles turned to all out laughter as Gibbs showed no mercy.

"I think we found his tickle button," Gibbs told Jenny with a wink as he eased up on tickling Noah.

"I have a tickle button?" Noah asked looking down at his stomach.

"Yep, it's right there," Gibbs said pointing at the little boy's belly button.

"Does you have a tickle button?" Noah asked.

"I don't know," Gibbs said slyly. "I don't think I do."

"Don't listen to him, Noah," Jenny said. "He's trying to trick you." She pulled Gibbs t-shirt back far enough Noah could see his belly button then tickled him and it didn't take long for Noah to join in the fun. With all of them rolling around on the ground tickling each other, Scout decided to start giving kisses

Gibbs ringing cell phone interrupted the fun. While he took his phone call, Jenny pulled out some water and the crackers Noemi had packed.

"Who Daddy is talking to?" Noah asked around a mouthful of crackers.

"I'm not sure, Sweetie," Jenny said, "but I'm sure everything's fine."

Noah alternated between eating his crackers and feeding a few to Scout while he watched Gibbs walk around and talk on the phone. He smiled when his new daddy came back over and sat down next to him.

"Abby's on her way over," Gibbs said. "She's was at the house looking for us."

"My house?" Jenny asked. Gibbs nodded as he ate a cracker. "Were they able to trace the G-U-N back to wherever our Seaman got it?" she asked choosing her words carefully, knowing Noah was listening in.

"It belonged to a friend," Gibbs answered. "I guess she'd borrowed it before when she was dealing so she'd have some protection. When she asked to borrow it again, he didn't even ask why, just gave it to her."

"So this is over?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs nodded. "It's all over," he said. He ruffled Noah's hair then leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

"What is over?" Noah asked leaning into Gibbs.

Gibbs looked at the little boy as he rubbed his hand up and down his arm. "All the bad, scary stuff," he answered. Noah looked up at Gibbs and smiled when he saw the tension leave his body. He'd long ago learned how to read people. Knowing when to run and hide from his mother had been instrumental in his survival. Seeing Gibbs at peace helped him relax as well.

"You guys have the park to yourself!" Abby said cheerfully as she approached the group, purse in one hand, black parasol in the other.

"Hey Abs," Gibbs said, standing to hug her and kiss her cheek.

"I just had to come and see you guys after everything that's happened," Abby said hugging Gibbs back. "How are you? How's my Noah?"

"We're doing just fine," Gibbs said watching as Abby picked Noah up and kissed his forehead before hugging him.

"I was so worried," Abby said. "I wanted to come see you guys this morning when Tony, Ziva and Tim showed up at my front door but they wouldn't let me so I just had to come after work. Then I was super worried when I got to your house, Director, and nobody was there so that's why I called and—"

"Abs, Abby," Gibbs interrupted.

"Sorry, Gibbs, I was just… you know, really worried."

Gibbs shot a smile over at Jenny as Abby stood Noah back on the ground and gave Scout some attention. Gibbs got out the soccer ball and kicked it around with Noah while Abby chatted with Jenny and played Frisbee with Scout. When Gibbs saw Noah starting to get tired, he decided it was time to pack up.

"We'd love to have you over for dinner, Abby," Jenny offered as they walked back towards their cars.

"I'd love to," Abby said, "but Timmy, Ziva and I are going to hit the bar."

"What about Tony?" Gibbs asked.

Abby shrugged her shoulders and scrunched her face. "He said he might stop by but I don't know. Something's been bothering him today. He won't talk about it but I can tell." She stopped in front of her car and looked up at Gibbs. "Will you talk to him?"

Gibbs looked at Abby and nodded. "Yeah, I'll talk to him," he said. "You guys have fun tonight, relax and enjoy yourselves." He gave Abby another half hug while he held Noah on his opposite side then opened her car door for her. They waved goodbye then Gibbs put Noah in the backseat of Jenny's SUV, climbed in the driver's seat and they headed back for her house.

After dinner, Gibbs pulled out one of Noah's coloring books and his crayons and they all sat down at the dining room table. Noah ripped a page out of his coloring book and gave it to Jenny then one for Gibbs and they all got started coloring their pictures.

"Do we live here now, Daddy?" Noah asked.

"No, Bud, we still live at our house," Gibbs answered. "We just had to come over here for a couple days while our house gets cleaned."

"Is Mom still at our house?" Noah asked looking up at Gibbs.

Gibbs put his crayon down as he shook his head. "Mom's dead, Buddy, remember? She can't hurt you anymore."

"Is her at a cementary?" Noah asked.

"That's a big word for such a little guy," Gibbs said. "Mom will be taken to the cemetery real soon."

"And then her will buried under dirt and dirt and dirt and," Noah paused and looked towards Gibbs again. "Can her dig out?"

"Nope," Gibbs said. "She can't do anything anymore. She's gone."

Noah was trying to wrap his head around the concept but he didn't really understand what had happened or where his Mom had gone. "For how long?" he asked.

"Forever," Gibbs answered patiently. "She can't come back."

"Kay," Noah said quietly. He didn't want Gibbs to get upset with him for asking so many questions. Gibbs pulled his little boy into his lap and kissed the top of his head, suspecting he was still confused. He looked helplessly over at Jenny, wishing he could do a better job of explaining what had happened to Noah.

"Just give him time," Jenny said brushing her hand through Noah's hair.

"Noah, Buddy, you can ask me anything you want," Gibbs said. "You can ask me as many questions as you want and I'll do my best to answer them for you."

"I don't have no more questions," Noah said. He peeked behind Gibbs when he saw someone move in front of the door. "Tony!"

"Hey Big Man," Tony said. He nodded at Gibbs and Jenny as he made his way over to the group.

"We is coloring pictures," Noah said. "Want me to find you one?"

"Sure," Tony said ruffling the little boy's hair.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, "you doing okay?"

"Yeah, Boss," Tony said trying to sound convincing. "I hope you don't mind me stopping by again."

"Not at all," Jenny said while Gibbs looked suspiciously at his young agent. "Would you like some dinner?"

"No thanks," Tony said, "already ate."

Under the watchful eye of Gibbs, Tony sat down at the table and started coloring the picture Noah had chosen for him. The group made small talk, laughing and joking while they colored their pictures.

"Is there a reason you're giving up your Friday night to spend time with a five year old, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked suspiciously. "Abby was over earlier, said they were all going to the bar."

"No, I just thought it'd be more fun to have a movie night," Tony said pointing to the stack of kids movies he'd rented, "and I didn't want to watch alone."

Gibbs gave him a knowing smirk. Tony hadn't said it in so many words but he knew he what was going on. "Why don't you guys go ahead and get one of those movies started, Jen and I will make some popcorn." He watched as Tony took Noah's hand and led him towards the living room then turned to Jenny. "Do you mind? He'll probably end up here all night."

Jenny laughed, shaking her head. "Not at all," she said.

The group watched _Madagascar_ while they snacked on popcorn and relaxed. Half way through _Madagascar 2,_ Tony and Noah were both asleep, Noah lying on Tony's chest on the couch. Gibbs covered them up with a blanket then he and Jenny stepped out of the room.

"I think Noah's been good for Tony," Jenny said peeking into the room.

"Skipping lunch to come over here and check on him," Gibbs said. "That's a big deal for him."

"So is skipping the bar on a Friday night," Jenny said.

"I'm going to head over to the house and make sure everything got cleaned up," Gibbs said. "Will you be okay here with them for a little while?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Jenny said. "Do you want some company?"

"I'll be okay," Gibbs said, "I need you here with them more than with me."

"Okay," Jenny said, "I brought some work home with me. I'll go ahead and get started on that."

Gibbs made a quick stop by the hardware store before he headed for his house. He was pleased to see the crime scene tape had been removed from the front yard. It was an open and shut case and not one anyone was going to make a big deal out of. Any citizen has the right to protect themselves in their own home and that included shooting anyone who posed a threat. The fact that he was a federal agent and her history with Noah would help tie up the investigation even quicker.

He entered the house and found the entryway had been scrubbed clean. There was no sign left of what had happened the night before. After a brief walk though of the house, he headed down to his basement. He looked at the mat under his boat that he'd been sleeping on the night before. He stared at the empty coffee cup and the few tools he'd been using that hadn't yet made it back to their rightful places. With Noah starting to relax and sleep peacefully he let his guilt takeover. His guilt quickly gave way to anger.

Gibbs scolded and lectured himself for falling asleep downstairs, for not hearing anyone in his house and for not getting to Christina before she got to Noah. He knew if it hadn't been for Scout, the woman would've most likely gotten away with the little boy and he quite possibly could've never seen him again. That terrified him.

For so many years he'd carried around guilt over Shannon and Kelly's deaths. He'd been in another country protecting strangers while his family was murdered, his own flesh and blood. Now he had Noah and despite being in the same house with him, he'd still let the boy down. He still hadn't protected his family.

His tools fell to the floor as the shell of the boat vibrated from the force of his fist. His hand hurt but he ignored it. He deserved it and so much more. A few more blows and Gibbs sunk to the floor with bloodied knuckles and his head between his knees. With his breathing still heavy he lifted his head and turned to look at the bottle of bourbon. He considered taking a swallow, just enough to take the edge off but fought the urge. If he started he might not stop and he still had to drive back to Georgetown. He wouldn't fail Noah again.

Gibbs cleaned up his tools as he cooled off. He wouldn't return to the basement to work on his boat any time soon and you could be sure that he'd never fall asleep down there again. What once brought peace now brought up painful reminders of the day he almost lost another child. For a half second he wondered if he was cursed somehow, if he should give Noah back to D'Arcy and have her find somewhere better for him. His children never seemed to live very long.

As he stood in silence he realized the bad thoughts were winning. Ever since he'd lost Shannon and Kelly he'd been unsure of himself as a husband and father. He tried to compensate by becoming the best special agent but that still left his home life a mess. He refocused his thoughts on the positive, on the progress Noah had made, on the fact that the threat had been eliminated, on the knowledge that he hadn't been the one who'd let Noah down. He stopped thinking about the what-ifs and focused on what had happened then he went about making sure it never happened again.

He grabbed a few tools and the bag from the hardware store and headed back upstairs. Nobody would be getting into his house again without his knowledge. He installed a chain lock on his front and back doors and the door that led to his garage. Even with Christina dead, it would provide some peace of mind for him and he hoped for Noah as well.

After he installed the locks, he checked over the house one last time before leaving. The next time he returned he would have Noah with him and he wanted everything to be perfect. When he was satisfied, he got back into his car and headed back to Georgetown. The cool night air coming in through the open car windows helped clear his mind as he drove.

Jenny was sitting in her office, wrapping up the last of the small amount of work she wanted to accomplish over the weekend. She'd already peeked in on Tony and Noah to make sure they were still sleeping peacefully and gotten herself a cup of coffee. As she finished up her work she couldn't help but think about how nice it was to have a house full of people. She was used to coming home to an empty house and it had never bothered her. Before Gibbs and Noah arrived, she hadn't even given it a second thought but she decided having others there was something she truly enjoyed.

Before she could give it too much thought, Gibbs appeared in her office and sat down on the loveseat. Jenny watched him as he sat silently for a moment then she moved over next to him. She leaned into him, hoping he wouldn't push her away. She just wanted to be close to him. The call about the shooting had really scared her. Relief washed over her when she'd arrived and realized Gibbs and Noah were okay but her anxiety level had been through the roof.

Gibbs wrapped his arm around her and rested his head on top of hers, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo. His mind took him back to their adventures in Europe. He started absently rubbing her shoulder as he was lost in thought, reminiscing about their past life.

"Thanks for letting us stay here," he said quietly. "We'll be out of your hair tomorrow."

"Are you sure you want to go back so soon?" Jenny asked.

"Crime scene's been released, everything's been cleaned up," Gibbs said still rubbing her shoulder. "I want to try to get things back to normal for Noah. He's been bounced around too much over the past month."

"You know you don't have to do this alone, right Jethro?" Jenny asked. "I'm here for you." She laid her head against his chest, reveling in the strength, love and protection she knew it held. She wondered how she could've been so foolish all those years ago; how she could've simply walked away.

Gibbs ran his hand gently though her hair, caught up in the moment. The reason he'd hesitated staying with her initially was this very thing. He still had a lot of feelings for Jenny and he didn't really trust himself alone with her. It wouldn't take much persuading and she knew his weaknesses all too well. His thoughts from earlier that evening vanished as he sat with his former lover in his arms. He wondered why he'd ever let her go.

"I've missed you," Jenny whispered.

Gibbs moved his hands down her back, exploring her supple curves once again, remembering how her body felt pressed against his. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Jenny ran her hand across his chest and down his abdomen. She turned and pressed a kiss to stomach, kissing her way up his chest and his neck, across his jaw line and cheek. She could hear Gibbs' breathing get heavier, knew his body was reacting but she would let him make the next move.

With Jenny hovering over him, her mouth open and waiting, Gibbs asked himself if he really wanted to open himself up to the possibility of being hurt again. He snaked his hand around her neck and pulled her to him, opening his mouth and letting their lips meet in a passionate kiss. With kissing came touching, her hands on his bare chest, his hands on her bare back. More kissing, more exploring, more getting reacquainted but when her fingers found the button of his blue jeans he stopped her.

Jenny sat back on his knees, steadying herself by resting her hands on his chest. Both of them were breathing heavy from long, demanding kisses. She looked into his eyes, wondering why he'd stopped her. As much as Gibbs wanted to, as ready as he was to let their passion play out right then and there he decided it wasn't the right time. His evening had been filled with so many emotions, intense and powerful emotions and he knew he wasn't thinking clearly. He didn't want lust to drive him to do something he'd come to regret, something they'd both regret.

"It's not you," he whispered. "I just need some time. I need to think some things through."

Jenny nodded and moved back to his side. He pulled her close and simply held her as his body calmed. A cold shower would've worked better and faster but he didn't want to abandon her, didn't want to give her the wrong impression; not if there was any chance for things to work out between them.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Noah held tightly to Gibbs' hand as the two made their up the front walkway towards their house. It was a chilly Saturday morning in October but Gibbs had relented and let Noah wear his shorts and a hooded sweatshirt. It had only taken a matter of weeks for the little boy to have Gibbs wrapped around his little finger.

"Home sweet home," Gibbs said as he unlocked the front door. He pushed it open and waited patiently while Noah poked his head in and looked around the entryway. "It's okay," he encouraged, "we're safe here." He gave Noah a gentle nudge into the house then he and Scout followed.

As soon as he was inside the house Noah panicked. He turned around and hugged Gibbs' leg as he closed his eyes tightly. Gibbs put their bags aside and lifted Noah into his arms. "Do you want to go look around?" he asked. Noah nodded, his hands fisted so tightly into Gibbs' hoodie that his knuckles were white.

The two made their way through each room in the house, looking in all the corners and behind every door. Closets were checked, behind shower curtains and under beds. When Noah was satisfied that there were no bad guys lurking anywhere, he let himself relax slightly. He and Scout followed Gibbs out back to get the grill ready. Gibbs had arranged an afternoon barbeque in hopes that being surrounded by the team would help Noah relax and take his mind off what had happened the last time they were home.

"Let's go inside and get started on the pasta salad," Gibbs said as soon as the grill was ready. "Do you think you can help me with that?"

"Sss—Scout and Qwert will help too," Noah said.

"Practice saying Squirt with me," Gibbs said kneeling in front of Noah. "Watch my mouth. S-qu-irt."

"Sssss—sk, sk, skirt," Noah said.

"Almost," Gibbs encouraged. "One more time. S-qu-qu-irt."

Noah watched Gibbs' lips and tongue and listened carefully before trying it himself. "Ss-s-k-s-qu-irt!" he said with a smile.

"Atta boy!" Gibbs praised. "Give me five."

Noah slapped Gibbs' hand with a proud smile on his face. They headed into the kitchen and worked together to make the pasta salad. Each member of the team was bringing something to eat but Gibbs told everybody he'd provide the meat and a salad.

"Can we have French fries too, Daddy?" Noah asked.

"We sure can," Gibbs said. He dug around in the freezer until he found a bag of fries. "Maybe we can get Abby or Ziva to cook those up for you while I grill."

"Or Tony?" Noah asked.

"I'm not sure if I trust Tony to cook with hot grease," Gibbs said.

"Him will make a mess?"

"He might burn himself," Gibbs said.

By the time their guests started arriving, Gibbs and Noah had the steaks seasoned and ready to go on the grill and the pasta salad made. Tony brought dinner rolls and a few bags of chips, Tim brought corn on the cob to go on the grill, Abby brought mud pie for dessert, Ziva brought homemade baked beans and Jenny brought the stuff to make a fruit punch and lemonade. There was enough food for a feast. While the guys hung out in the backyard grilling the steaks and corn, Jenny made the drinks, Ziva fried the French fries and Abby organized everything and set it out. Lunch was ready in no time.

Afternoon temperatures were warm enough it was comfortable to eat outside. The group sat around, some of them in chairs, some of them on the deck, eating, drinking, joking and laughing. It was almost as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened and that's exactly how Gibbs wanted it.

After lunch Tony, Abby and Noah played with Scout in the yard while the others sat on the porch and watched. Their bellies were too full to move around very much. The afternoon was peaceful and relaxing. Everyone settled in and made themselves at home. Tim hooked up the Nintendo Wii he'd brought over and played a few games with Noah. It didn't take long for Ziva and Abby to join in the fun and after Tony was finished teasing them he played as well. With the younger group occupied, Gibbs and Jenny had a moment to themselves. Gibbs headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and Jenny followed.

"Noah seems to be settling in well," Jenny said.

Gibbs nodded as he pulled out two coffee cups. "We had to check the house for bad guys when we got here but after that he was okay."

"It was nice having you guys stay with me," Jenny said.

"Thanks for the offer," Gibbs said. "It was great not to have to worry about anything besides Noah."

"Jethro?"

Gibbs looked over at her as he handed her a cup of coffee. "Hmm?"

"Do you ever think back and wonder what things would be like if you'd made different choices?"

"I try not to live in the past, Jen," Gibbs said.

"What happened last night?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs put his coffee aside and gave her his full attention. He knew she was dancing around what was really on her mind and that if he was patient with her she'd eventually come around to it. "Well, I think we both got caught up in the moment and we kissed." He watched as Jenny stood silently leaned up against the countertop. "What's on your mind, Jen?"

"I used to think my career was the most important thing to me," Jenny said tracing her finger around the edge of her coffee cup."

"But?" Gibbs asked when she didn't continue.

Jenny set her coffee cup down and looked up at Gibbs. "But now I'm not so sure. I wonder what things might've been like had I made different choices."

"Can't do anything about the past," Gibbs said, "but it's never too late to change the future."

"What if you've hurt people along the way?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs looked into her eyes and could see the regret. He knew she was talking about him. He moved a strand of her hair over behind her ear then traced his fingers down her jaw line. "I loved you, Jen," he said quietly. "I was hurt when you left but it's not something I've dwelled on."

"So, it's not too late?" Jenny asked hopefully. "Any chance I can get a do over?"

"Daddy?"

Gibbs lifted Noah into his arms, still looking at Jenny. "What do you say we have dinner Friday evening?"

A smile found its way onto Jenny's face as she reached out and ran her hand over Noah's back. "I'd like that."

Gibbs smiled at her before turning his attention to Noah. "What's up, Kiddo?"

"Can I have some more muddy pie?" Noah asked.

"Muddy pie," Gibbs repeated with a smile. "I'll tell you what, if you eat up the rest of your steak for dinner then I'll get you another piece of muddy pie."

"Kay," Noah said. "Is there any more punch?"

"There sure is," Jenny said. "Where's your cup, Sweetheart? I'll fill it up for you."

Noah retrieved his cup and Jenny filled it while Gibbs got Noah's plate out. Gibbs sat Noah down at the end of the table then took a seat across from Jenny. Noah had a hard time sitting still and focusing on his meal while listening to all the fun being had in the adjoining room but decided his piece of mud pie was more important than the video games and continued eating. He was rewarded with dessert and scarfed it down before hurrying back into the living room to continue playing with the big kids.

Their guests headed home when it was time for Noah to start calming down and get ready for bed. They knew his first night back in his house might prove to be challenging when it came time for him to go to sleep. After a long, relaxing bath Gibbs wrapped Noah in a towel and carried him into his room.

"You've had a long day, haven't you, Buddy?" he asked. "I bet you're sleepy."

"Is it sleepy time?" Noah asked. He was determined to be brave. Gibbs was always brave; he would be too even though inside he was scared to death.

"We're going to read a story first then it'll be bedtime," Gibbs said watching his boy closely.

"Daddy?"

"What Buddy?"

"Can I sleep with the light on?" Noah asked.

Gibbs looked his little guy in the eyes and smiled at him as he ran his thumb across his cheek. "Sure Kiddo, if you want to."

The dark used to be Noah's solace, now it was just something else that terrified him. Gibbs hoped in time he would get that back but for now it was just another thing his mother had stolen from him. If leaving the lights on would help him sleep then Gibbs would turn every light in the house on.

Noah climbed into bed and Gibbs stretched out next to him. After the little boy was tucked safely between his arm and chest, he opened the book and started reading. Noah listened intently and studied all the pictures just as he did every night. He loved story time. The quiet one on one time with his new dad was one of his favorite parts of the day.

When the he was finished reading the story, Gibbs wrapped both arms around Noah and held him tight. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked quietly. Noah put on his best brave face before looking up at Gibbs and nodding. Gibbs smiled as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Noah's forehead. "I'll be right downstairs," he said. "You just holler if you need me or you can come down and get me or send Scout."

After one more kiss on the cheek Gibbs left Noah and Scout alone in their room with the door cracked halfway and the light on then he headed down to the living room to relax. With Christina dead and JP in jail after taking a plea deal, Gibbs let himself relax. He'd been worried Noah was going to have to testify at his mother's trial and wasn't sure if the child was strong enough. His protective nature had him frantically searching for a way to get Noah out of it but he hadn't been having much luck. Although he hadn't expected things to end like they had, he was relieved Christina was no longer a threat.

He grabbed the book he'd been reading off the coffee table, stretched out on the couch and opened to where he'd left off. There was no way he was going down to the basement that night or any night soon. He hadn't even gotten two pages in when Noah appeared in the living room with Scout by his side and Squirt tucked under his arm. He climbed into Gibbs' lap and got himself settled. Gibbs covered him with the blanket from the back of the couch and continued reading while he rubbed Noah's back.

* * *

><p>A phone call to Noah's therapist on Monday morning and an explanation of what had happened the previous week resulted in his appointment being moved to that evening. Cameron decided to stay late and add an extra appointment onto the end of his work day in order to try to help Noah out.<p>

Gibbs was not impressed when he was asked to remain in the waiting room but was willing to give it a shot. He didn't understand how therapy worked but he trusted Ducky and knew Ducky trusted Cameron so he tried to be patient with the process. Syndi watched as he sat anxiously glancing around the waiting room while he waited. The feeling of helplessness and being out of control was not something Gibbs was used to. Life wasn't easy, he knew that, but he felt he should be able to do something more to help Noah. Loving him and protecting him wasn't enough. His child was hurting and he wanted to take that away, take the burden on himself.

Gibbs remembered Jenny's words of advice about not getting frustrated if Noah didn't heal on his schedule. Now more than ever he understood what she meant. She wasn't just talking about the amount of time it would take for Noah to return to some sense of normalcy. She was talking about the process it would take to get him there, about letting others help. She was talking about him being patient. She was talking about the little boy needing time to process what he'd been through and learn how to be a carefree child, if that was even possible.

While he was lost in thought, the door to the office opened and Noah exited. He crawled into Gibbs' lap and snuggled in as Gibbs wrapped his arms around him.

"We're making great progress," Cameron said as he came to a stop in front of where Gibbs was sitting. "We still have a ways to go but you should be proud."

"I am," Gibbs said with his face buried in Noah's hair. "Thanks Doc."

"I'll see you guys next week," Cameron said.

Gibbs and Noah headed home, stopping to pick up cheeseburgers from Noah's favorite burger joint on the way. It was late and the last thing on Gibbs' mind was cooking. He and Noah sat down at the coffee table to eat their dinner while they watched cartoons and relaxed. After dinner they decided to take Scout for a walk. Gibbs grabbed Noah's hoodie out of the coat closet and helped him get it on then grabbed his own hoodie, attached Scout's leash to his collar and they were off.

"Daddy?" Noah asked walking with Scout's leash in one hand and holding Gibbs' hand with his other.

"What Bud?" Gibbs asked.

"When is the lady coming over again?" Noah asked.

"What lady?"

"The one you like," Noah said with a sneaky smile.

Gibbs smirked down at the five year old. "How do you know I like the lady?" he asked. Noah giggled up at Gibbs but didn't answer. "Jenny will be over on Friday night. She and I are going to go out and do something fun while your Uncle Tony takes you out to do something fun. How does that sound?"

"Him is not my uncle," Noah said, "him is my brother." Gibbs brushed his hand over Noah's hair as a smile crossed his face. Not only had Noah been good for Tony but Tony had been good for Noah. "Is the lady gonna be my new mom?" Noah asked, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"I don't know, Kiddo," Gibbs said caught slightly off guard by the question. "Something like that wouldn't happen for awhile."

"I don't want another mom," Noah said.

"How come?" Gibbs asked.

"'Cause moms are mean," Noah said.

"Not all moms are mean," Gibbs reasoned. "My mom was very nice."

"You haved a mom?" Noah asked looking up at Gibbs in surprise.

"I did," Gibbs said, "she died but before that she was a very good mommy."

"I wish I haded a good mommy," Noah sighed.

"Hey," Gibbs said softly as he squeezed Noah's hand, "you have a lot people who care about you, Buddy. Sometimes we have to find our own mommies and daddies or sons and daughters. Tony's not my real son but I love him like he is, just like I love you."

"I love you too," Noah said. "I'm glad you're my daddy now."

"Me too, Baby Boy," Gibbs said.

The two finished their lap around the block then headed inside. Gibbs had just gotten Noah bathed, dressed in his pajamas and was lying down with him to read when he got a call from dispatch notifying him of a missing kid case his team had just been assigned.

"We've got to go to work, Kiddo," Gibbs said.

"In a nighttime?" Noah asked.

Gibbs nodded as he grabbed Noah's backpack and threw in a change of clothes, Noah's blanket and a storybook. "Somebody got lost. I need to go help look for them. You get to hang out with either Jenny or Abby."

As Gibbs drove over to the Navy Yard he realized he needed to make arrangements for Noah so when he got called into work late at night or early in the morning, he didn't have to drag the little boy along with him. As he was headed into the building with Noah, Jenny was on her way out, finally heading home for the day. She insisted on taking Noah for the night, reasoning that it'd be better for him to sleep in his own bed. Gibbs thanked her and kissed them both goodnight then he hurried inside and Jenny left with Noah.

Noah was a little confused with all the coming and going, especially at bedtime but he was so tired he didn't give it much thought and he'd spent enough time with Jenny over the past several days that he was comfortable with her. Once he was tucked into bed with Scout curled up at his feet and Squirt tucked in next to him, he fell asleep quickly.

With Noah asleep, Jenny headed into Gibbs' room and changed into the t-shirt and sweatpants she'd stopped by her house to get. She knew it was likely Gibbs wouldn't make it home before the work day started on Tuesday so she'd made a detour to her house before returning to Gibbs' house with Noah. She was in the kitchen heating up some dinner when her cell phone rang.

"Checking up on me already?" she teased after looking at her caller ID.

"No," Gibbs said, "I forgot to tell you something. Before you go to bed tonight, wake Noah up enough to get him to the bathroom and have him pee otherwise he'll wet the bed."

"I think I can handle that," Jenny said.

"Thank you," Gibbs said. "Make yourself at home and call if you need anything."

"Be safe, Jethro."

Jenny ate her dinner in front of the TV while she watched reruns of old sitcoms. She considered watching the news but decided she'd had enough of that at work. She wanted something lighthearted and fun before bed. After she'd eaten and had some time to relax, she took Noah to the bathroom then crawled into Gibbs' bed to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>Jenny woke early on Tuesday morning, unsure about how long it would take to get Noah up and ready. After a quick call to check in with Gibbs, a shower and dressing for the day she made her way into Noah's room and found him just as she'd left him the night before, sleeping soundly between Scout and Squirt. Scout perked up when she entered but after she let him smell her hand and patted his head he relaxed. She sat down on the edge of the bed and ran her hand down the side of Noah's face.<p>

"Noah, Baby, it's time to wake up," she said.

Noah yawned then opened his eyes and stared up at her for a moment. "Where Daddy is?" he asked quietly.

"Daddy's at work," Jenny answered brushing her hand through his messy hair. "We're going to go have breakfast with him before you have to go to school."

Noah nodded and rubbed at his eyes. "I have to pee pee."

"Go ahead," Jenny said pulling the covers back, "then we'll get dressed and get out of here."

Jenny helped Noah get dressed, even managing to get him to wear long pants for the first time that season, then the two packed him a lunch, chose something for him to take for show and tell and left.

"What would you like for breakfast, Sweetie?" Jenny asked as she backed the car out of the driveway.

"Sometimes Lainey makes me pancakes," Noah said.

_Lainey,_ Jenny thought trying to figure out who the little boy might be talking about, "Elaine? At your papa's diner?"

"Yeah," Noah said. "Her puts fun stuff in my pancakes. "Strawberries and whipped cream and blueberries and chocolate chips and other stuff. Her makes 'em different every time."

"Okay, Lainey's pancakes it is," Jenny said smiling at the little boy in the rearview mirror.

"Are you a nice mommy?" Noah asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I— uh— I'm not really a mommy yet, Noah," she stuttered, unsure of how to answer the question, "but hopefully I will be one day and I will try my hardest to be a very nice mommy."

"I thinked that you were a nice mommy to me last night," Noah said.

Jenny parked the car at the diner and turned around to face Noah. "Are you okay, Buddy?" she asked, slightly concerned.

Noah looked at her and nodded. "Daddy says sometimes we have to find our own families."

"Are you looking for a family?" Jenny asked.

Noah shrugged and diverted his eyes to his lap. "I finded a daddy and some brothers and sisters but I didn't finded the mommy yet. Daddy sayed there are nice mommies and I want a nice mommy. Are you the mommy?"

"Sweetheart," Jenny said. She paused, unsure of how to continue, got out of the car and lifted Noah out of the backseat. "I can try to be your mommy, Baby, but I don't live at your house so I'm not going to be able to do a lot of the things that mommies get to do."

"I think that you could just come and live with us," Noah said, "or Daddy and me can live with you again."

"Noah, I love you so much," Jenny said rubbing her nose against his, "but sometimes grownup stuff is a little bit complicated. I don't know what's going to happen between your daddy and I but you know what? You can call me whenever you want and as long as daddy says it's okay, I'll come over and see you and we'll do stuff together. How does that sound?"

"Good," Noah said with a smile. "I can call you Mommy?"

Jenny looked into Noah's piercing blue eyes and it was almost as if she was looking into Gibbs' eyes. They held so much honesty and emotion and a lifetime of pain. "Sure Baby, you can call me mommy if you want to," she answered, hoping it was okay with Gibbs.

Noah smiled sweetly at Jenny earning him another kiss then they headed into the diner and put their order in. While they waited, Elaine gave Noah a bowl of fresh fruit to snack on and made Jenny a cup of coffee. Jenny found the woman very friendly and easy to talk to and her adoration for Noah was obvious. Once their breakfasts arrived all packaged up and ready to go, Jenny paid, thanked Elaine then she and Noah continued to the Navy Yard. She knew Gibbs wanted to see Noah before he had to go to daycare so she'd told him she'd bring him some breakfast and they could eat together.

Gibbs was standing in the parking lot near Jenny's parking spot when she pulled in. She smiled at him as she parked her car and got out.

"I thought you might need some help getting everything into the building," he said with a tired smile.

"I think my little helper and I could've managed," Jenny said, "but thank you."

Gibbs lifted Noah into his arms and kissed his cheek. "How are you, Buddy? I missed you."

"I missed you too, Daddy," Noah said. Gibbs gave him another kiss then grabbed some of Jenny's load and they all headed up to her office. They ate breakfast quickly, Gibbs knowing he had to hurry back to work and Noah anxious to get to daycare in time for show and tell. Next to pizza day that was his favorite day of the week. Jenny walked with Gibbs to drop Noah off at daycare.

"How was he last night?" Gibbs asked as they started walking back. "Did he wet the bed?"

"He was a perfect little angel," Jenny said, "and no, he didn't wet the bed. Is he still having nightmares?"

"He won't talk it about much but yeah, I can tell." Gibbs sighed. "Thanks for taking care of him."

"Any time," Jenny said, "and I mean that. Next time you get a call out in the middle of the night I want you to call me. I'll come right over."

"That'd be a huge help," Gibbs said.

"Noah and I did have a very interesting conversation this morning," Jenny said looking up at Gibbs.

"Really?" Gibbs asked. "What's on his mind?"

"He asked me if I would be his mommy," Jenny said. "He said you told him we have to find our own families sometimes."

"He asked me last night if you were going to be his new mom," Gibbs confessed. "He said he didn't want a new mom because moms are mean. I told him not all moms are mean and that sometimes we have to find our own nice families."

"That explains some things," Jenny said. "He said he found the daddy and the brothers and the sisters but he needed to find the mommy."

"You should be honored," Gibbs said with a smirk, "but it's a big role to play. You've got to teach him about a mother's love. Right now he associates mom with a being a bad thing."

"You're not mad?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "He's just looking for love."

Jenny smiled and leaned into Gibbs. Spending the night alone with Noah had really opened her eyes up to the pain the little boy carried around. "Well, he asked if he could call me mommy and I said yes. I hope you don't mind. I also told him he could call me whenever he wanted and as long as it was okay with you that I'd come over and play with him."

Gibbs wrapped his arm around Jenny's shoulders and pulled her close to him. "I don't mind," he said, "as long as you promise not to hurt him."

"I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'm going out of town tomorrow, I'll be gone through the weekend so it'll be next week before I can update again. Also, I've disabled anonymous reviews while I'm gone since unfortunately there are some people who can't behave themselves on here and I won't be able to "babysit" and remove unacceptable comments. I haven't decided if I'll enable them again or not. I'm getting quite fed up to be perfectly honest. I left the SVU fandom because of so much pettiness and immature behavior. I've always seen the NCIS fandom as a family, kind of like they are on the show. I don't tolerate haters and bullys in my family. You're not welcome here.

Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful end to your weeks and a good weekend. 'See' you guys when I get back. =)


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** Minor spoilers for 'Enemy on the Hill.'

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<strong>

Between Monday and Friday Gibbs and his team found a runaway teenager and returned her safely to her parents, tracked down a petty officer who'd been stealing electronics from the NEX and dealt with a seaman who'd been caught trying to smuggle drugs onto his ship just before deployment. It had been a long, busy week and they'd had to fight for their weekend off but by the time Friday afternoon rolled around, they'd finished everything that needed to be done and headed out.

Noah was lying down on the couch with his head propped on Scout while he pretended to read one of his story books to his dog and his beloved stuffed baby sea turtle. The little boy was excited about getting to spend the evening with Tony while his daddy went out on a date with his mommy. Gibbs made his way down the stairs after he was ready to go and paused to listen to Noah's story for a moment. Noah could sense that he was being watched and turned around to find Gibbs smiling at him.

"How do I look?" Gibbs asked.

Noah smiled as he carefully took in Gibbs' appearance. "You's tie is crooked," he finally said.

Gibbs looked down and realized his little boy was right. "Will you fix it for me?" he asked as he knelt down so Noah could reach.

Noah edged Gibbs' tie around until it was as close to being in the center as he could get it. "All fixeded."

"Thank you," Gibbs said lifting Noah into his arms and kissing his temple. "It's probably going to be late when I get home. You might be asleep already but Tony will be here with you the whole time, okay?"

"What we are gonna do?" Noah asked.

"Well, knowing Tony, I'm sure you'll watch TV and eat some popcorn," Gibbs said, "but I think he has something special planned for you guys to do."

"What you and Mommy are gonna do?" Noah asked.

"We're going to have dinner and talk," Gibbs answered.

"Hey Boss, hey Tater," Tony said as he entered the living room. "You ready for a fun evening?"

Noah nodded at Tony then looked back to Gibbs. Gibbs kissed his forehead then smiled at him. "I love you, Buddy."

"I love you, Daddy," Noah said.

Gibbs handed his little boy off to Tony then looked at him until Tony made eye contact. "You two behave yourselves."

"We'll be good, Dad," Tony assured him while Noah giggled. Gibbs smiled, glanced at his watch then headed out. He wanted to pick up some flowers on the way over to Jenny's and didn't want to be late.

Tony had Noah put his shoes on while he dug around in the coat closet for his jacket. He helped Noah tie his shoes then they headed out to his car and were off. Tony took Noah to Adventure Park USA for an evening of fun. They stopped at the snack bar and got some pizza and fries for dinner then headed into the arcade to play games while their food settled.

After they'd played every game that looked like fun, they went outside and got in line for the rollercoaster. Noah screamed and squealed and held onto Tony for dear life but by the time the ride was over he was laughing hysterically.

"Did you like that?" Tony asked as they exited the ride. "You're not going to throw up, are you?"

"That was fun!" Noah said bouncing up and down and holding onto Tony's hand while his big brother led him to the next attraction. "Where we is going now?"

"Go karts!" Tony said happily.

They didn't have to wait long to make it to the front of the line. Tony buckled Noah into the passenger seat then strapped himself in. When the green flag was waved they sped off, racing other drivers, waving and making silly faces at people as they navigated their way around the track. They were so busy goofing around that they finished almost in last place but neither of them cared.

After the go karts, they teamed up to play a game of laser tag then climbed the rock wall side by side. It was starting to get late but Tony decided to stay and play a game of mini golf before leaving. It was a special evening and Noah could sleep in the following day so he hoped it would be okay to let him stay up later than usual.

Noah quickly grew frustrated trying to hit the small ball into the small hole with his club and alternated between kicking, rolling, tossing and putting the ball to its destination. Tony just laughed as he watched. Noah was having fun and that was the only thing that mattered to him.

By the time they made it to the end of the course, Tony could see Noah was slowing down. It was after 9:00 and definitely past the little boy's bedtime. He was trying to hide how tired he was but Tony knew it was time to head home. They hadn't done all the activities at the fun park but they'd managed to do quite a few. In Tony's mind it was just a good excuse to come back another time. He turned in their golf clubs then loaded Noah up in the car and headed back for Gibbs' house.

* * *

><p>After a romantic dinner by candlelight at a cozy little restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, Gibbs and Jenny stepped out into the cool evening air to go for a walk. Jenny wrapped her hand around Gibbs' arm as they went. Dinner had been spent talking about Noah's progress, where Gibbs was in the adoption process and their vacation to Mexico.<p>

Jenny was trying to play things by ear, unsure of what kind of relationship Gibbs wanted with her. He'd stopped their make out session at her house from going too far but him asking her on a date was promising and gave her some hope. She was hoping the date would be a step forward in their relationship but wasn't quite sure what to say or do to get it there.

"What's on your mind?" Gibbs asked moving her hand from his arm down to his hand.

"Just thinking about how wonderful this evening has been," Jenny answered weaving her fingers between his, "and how I never want it to end."

Gibbs leaned over and kissed the side of her head. "Let's talk," he said leading her over to an unoccupied bench.

Jenny felt her heart flutter as they sat. Talking could be a good thing or a bad thing and at that point she wasn't sure which. It felt like Gibbs was giving her mixed signals and the harder she tried to read him the more confused she realized she was. She sat down next to him and he moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"The reason I want to take it slow is because I want to make sure this is the right thing," Gibbs said, taking her hand in his and brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "I've got a five year old at home who's about ready to move you in. I've got our complicated history to consider. I've got all these other things weighing on my mind and I just need time to step back and figure out what's best. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," Jenny said, "it does. I suppose I need to do the same thing. Noah's such a cutie and I want to be there for him and help him. I want to be the mom he never had but we've got to figure us out too otherwise we're just going to end up hurting him more."

"I want this to work, Jen," Gibbs admitted quietly, "but I don't want to force it."

Jenny smiled as she nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt the same way. As much as she wanted to jump back into their relationship and pick up where they'd left off she knew that wasn't possible. She'd messed that up when she disappeared several years prior. "How late is Tony staying?" she asked.

Gibbs shrugged. "Until I get home. I didn't give him a time frame."

"Let's go see a movie," Jenny suggested. She didn't want the night to end. She didn't want to go home to an empty house. She wanted more time with Gibbs.

"I suppose I could go for some popcorn," Gibbs said smiling down at her. Jenny smiled her thanks and the two walked back to Gibbs' car hand in hand and headed for the movie theater.

After a romantic comedy that Gibbs could've cared less about but sat through for Jenny's sake and a bucket full of popcorn, Gibbs drove Jenny home, walked her to her door and kissed her goodnight then headed back to his house. It had been hard not to follow her inside, knowing neither would object to the physical reaffirmation of their love but he knew it was better not to rush into anything and end up having regrets.

The lamp in his living room was the only light in the downstairs that was on when Gibbs walked into his house. He checked the downstairs but there was no sign of Tony. He hurried upstairs, hoping Noah wasn't having problems but smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when he made it to his boy's bedroom. Tony was crammed into Noah's twin size bed with a story book on his chest and Noah tucked under his arm, both of them were sound asleep. Scout was at the foot of the bed, using Tony's leg as a pillow.

Gibbs carefully lifted Noah out of the bed, doing his best not to disturb Tony then carried him down to the bathroom, rubbing his back to wake him.

"Daddy," Noah said nestling into Gibbs' neck.

"Yep, it's me," Gibbs said softly. "Did you and Tony have fun tonight?"

Noah nodded as Gibbs pulled his pants down and sat him on the toilet. "Is Mommy here?" he asked sleepily.

"Mommy went to her own home tonight, Buddy," Gibbs said. "Do you want to lie down in my bed tonight? Is Tony hogging the bed?"

"I want to sleep in my bed with Tony," Noah said.

"Okay," Gibbs said. He waited for Noah to use the bathroom, helped him get his pants up then carried him back into his room. He laid him down next to Tony and waited for him to get comfortable then removed the book from Tony's chest, covered his boys up and left them to sleep.

* * *

><p>Tony woke much earlier than he usually did on Saturday mornings, confused about where he was and what had happened the previous evening. Noah's foot was nearly in his face after the little boy had turned himself around in the bed at some point during the night and his little arm was wrapped around Tony's leg. Tony yawned and stretched then carefully rolled out of bed and covered Noah up once again. He found Gibbs sitting downstairs at the table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.<p>

"Mornin'," Tony grumbled on his way through the dining room to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.

Gibbs smirked at Tony's disheveled appearance. His hair was sticking up in every direction imaginable, his t-shirt was beyond wrinkled and half tucked into the pair of sweatpants he kept at Gibbs' house for unexpected overnights. One pant leg was rolled almost up to his knee and he'd managed to lose one of his socks somewhere. Tony poured himself a cup of coffee, added a healthy amount of sugar then plopped himself down at the table next to Gibbs.

"How'd you two do last night?" Gibbs asked, looking up from his paper.

Tony nodded his head as he downed nearly half his coffee in one swallow. "Oh, that hit the spot. You need coffee this strong after keeping up with a little kid." Gibbs smirked at his young agent. The coffee seemed to wake Tony instantly. He started talking so fast Gibbs struggled to keep up. "We had a lot of fun last night, Boss. At first I thought Noah was going to have a panic attack on the rollercoaster but he was laughing so hard by the end of the ride it made me laugh. Go karts were a blast! I can't wait till he's old enough to drive one by himself and putt putt golf, Boss, you should've been there for that! That kid's a crazy golfer." The excitement vanished from Tony's face almost instantly as he took another swig of his coffee and stared blankly ahead.

"You want to talk about it?" Gibbs asked.

Tony glanced over at Gibbs, not realizing he'd zoned out. "Talk about what?" he asked naively.

"About what's going on with you," Gibbs said looking at Tony.

"What do mean?" Tony asked laughing uncomfortably. "Nothing's going on with me."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows and cocked his head at Tony. Tony sighed and knew he was busted. He was a fool to think he could hide anything from Gibbs.

"I guess I just kind of identify with Noah, you know? Growing up alone and feeling unwanted, I know what that's like. I mean, it's kind of different because my Dad loved me… I think…" Tony paused and stared into his coffee cup as he recalled his painful childhood, "he just loved his cons more."

"And how did you cope?" Gibbs asked.

"Well," Tony thought about his answer, "I uh, I—I don't know if I ever honestly did," he admitted, "I mean if you're talking about coping with the fact that I took last place in his life. If you're talking about in general then I guess, I just, well, in a lot of ways you fill the void he left behind." Tony diverted his eyes to his lap. He wasn't good at talking about his feelings and he'd never admitted out loud that he thought of Gibbs as a father figure.

"Anthony, I'll tell you the same thing I told Abby," Gibbs said, "family is more than DNA. It's about people who care and take care of each other. If I can make up for some of the things you missed out on with your own Dad then I'm happy to do it. Noah may not be able to put it into words but he's looking for the same thing. He's looking for a family to love him and to fill the void in his life. You're a big part of that for him. He really looks up to you."

"What about you, Boss?" Tony asked. "I mean, who fills the voids in your life?" He hoped Gibbs knew what he was talking about. He didn't really want to mention Shannon and Kelly's names and see the heartache in Gibbs' eyes.

"Well, you guys keep me pretty busy," Gibbs said with a smirk and a wink.

Tony smiled and relaxed in his chair. "Noah really looks up to me?" he asked.

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "Remember when DC Metro found him wandering around on the streets, trying to get to school?" Tony nodded. "You were the first one he asked me for. He wanted you to take him out and get him lunch."

"Wow," Tony said honestly awed, "I guess I've got some pretty big shoes to fill."

"It's a big responsibility," Gibbs said. "Noah's not alone anymore. He has a family to help him through life and so do you, Tony."

Tony smiled and nodded. "I know, Boss."

"Why don't you go check on him, I'll make you guys some breakfast."

Tony quickly finished off the rest of his coffee before disappearing back upstairs to Noah's room. He didn't think it was possible for him to love that little boy anymore but learning what he meant to Noah somehow made that happen. He sat down next to him and watched him sleep for a moment before trying to smooth out his out of control hair. Noah grabbed onto Tony's hand, trying to stop him from messing with his hair and waking him up further. He opened his eyes and fear flashed across his face when he saw Tony smiling down at him.

"Where Daddy is?" Noah asked. "Did him leaved me?"

"No Buddy," Tony said, "he's downstairs making breakfast."

Noah's teeth chattered when Tony removed the blankets and picked him up. He snuggled in close to Tony but still couldn't get warm. "I'm cold," he said.

"I think it's time for you to start wearing long pants, Big Man," Tony said wrapping the little boy in his blanket.

"But I like shorts," Noah said.

"I know you do," Tony said as he carried Noah downstairs. "Summertime will come again soon and you can wear shorts all you want."

"Good morning Baby Boy," Gibbs said taking Noah from Tony and kissing his little boy's cheek. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," Noah said. "I don't thinked I haved any nightmares."

"I'm happy to hear that," Gibbs said. "Can you help Tony set the table so we can have breakfast?"

"Yeah but I want to stay home with you today, Daddy," he said.

"Today's Saturday, so you don't have to go to school and I don't have to go to work," Gibbs said as he stood his boy on the floor. "We can hang out together all day."

"And Tony too?"

"If Tony wants to hang out with us, he's more than welcome to," Gibbs said.

Noah smiled as he headed for the dining room to help Tony set the table. They passed out plates and silverware then Tony poured drinks and Noah returned to Gibbs' side in the kitchen and wrapped his arm around his leg, just wanting to be close to his daddy. Gibbs rubbed his head and patted his back in between flipping pancakes, bacon and eggs, sharing simple affections with his son.

Over breakfast, the three of them planned their weekend, everything from grocery shopping and laundry to a possible trip to the aquarium or one of the local museums. It really didn't matter what they did because they would be spending time together, as a family.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Fornell attached the visitor badge to his overcoat as he rode the elevator up to the squad room. It was early Wednesday afternoon and part of him was hoping Gibbs would be in and available to talk while the other part of him was dreading the conversation he knew he needed to have. He stepped off the elevator and as he approached the bullpen he saw Gibbs was alone.

"Buy you lunch?" he asked coming to a stop in front of Gibbs' desk.

Gibbs looked up at Fornell then glanced at his watch. He'd just let his team go grab a late lunch and didn't have any other plans. "Sure, if you're buying."

"I'll even let you pick the place," Fornell said.

Gibbs looked at his friend suspiciously as he pulled his coat on. It didn't take his finely tuned gut to know the FBI agent was up to something. He grabbed his credentials and his gun then followed Fornell to the elevator. "What's the occasion?" he asked.

Fornell considered waiting to break the news but knew Gibbs wouldn't let him have any peace until he found out why he was there. There was really no reason to wait anyways. "Four nights ago Brock Ellis broke into a small house in a middle class neighborhood in Silver Spring, Maryland. When he climbed into bed with the woman that lived there and tried to rape her, she pulled a gun out from under her pillow and shot him point blank in the head; killed him instantly."

As soon as he heard the word rape, Gibbs knew where the conversation was going. "Noah," he said quietly. He couldn't think of any other reason Fornell would be telling him about the rape case he was working.

"Ellis was his biological father," Fornell said as the two got into his suburban.

"Guy sounds like a real piece of work," Gibbs said. "Sounds like he got what was coming to him; saved the taxpayers some money on a trial."

Fornell paused before continuing. "There's more," he said. "The guy fathered at least five kids over the past ten years."

"Five?" Gibbs asked genuinely surprised by the news. "All of them through rape?"

Fornell nodded. "There are three girls, ages ten, nine and three and two boys, ages five and seven."

Gibbs stared blankly out the window as Fornell drove and he processed the news. "Where are the kids now?"

"The girls were all given up for adoption when they were born," Fornell answered. "One of them is in South Carolina, one of them in Maine and the third is still in the DC area. You have Noah and the seven year old male, Joshua, is in a foster home not too far from here."

The rest of the short ride to the Mexican restaurant was quiet. Gibbs was deep in thought. Not only had Brock Ellis terrorized God only knew how many women in the past ten years or more, he'd fathered at least five children. Noah had three half-sisters and a half-brother. His mind was filled with questions, questions that he would have to search to get the answers to.

He and Fornell ordered lunch and their conversation shifted to the cases they were working, their personal lives and other seemingly insignificant topics. Fornell avoided talking about Noah's siblings, letting Gibbs process the news first and Gibbs didn't bring it up again. When they were finished eating Fornell paid, took Gibbs back to work then headed back to Quantico.

* * *

><p>Later that night Gibbs was finding it impossible to sleep. He'd long ago put Noah to bed, read for a while, caught up on the laundry and ironing, even watched a little TV but he couldn't stop thinking about the conversation he'd had with Fornell earlier. The news was weighing heavy on him and he wasn't quite sure why. Was it the mothers? The fact that they'd carried a child that had been created by a monster in their womb for nine months. He wondered if there were more children out there that didn't make it, mothers who could bear the thought.<p>

Was it the children? Three of them were living somewhat normal lives but there would most likely be questions down the road and those questions would probably lead to some painful truths. There were two other children, one of whom was living under his roof, who he knew had been put through hell and the other he suspected had lead a difficult life as well. That was the case of most children in the foster care system.

Gibbs decided the majority of his worries were about Joshua. The fact that he was Noah's half brother and stuck in a foster home almost made Gibbs feel a sense of responsibility for the child. He wanted more information about the boy. He was curious about why he was in foster care and what kind of kid he was. Was he happy and well adjusted or troubled and in need of guidance?

With his mind still reeling, Gibbs flipped the TV off and headed upstairs to Noah's room. The little boy still insisted on sleeping with his bedroom light on but he was getting enough restful sleep so Gibbs didn't mind. He lifted Noah out of bed and carried him down the hall to the bathroom. Ever since his therapist had suggested he take Noah to the bathroom in the middle of the night, the little boy hadn't wet the bed once with the exception of the night his mother showed up.

He woke Noah enough he could relieve himself, sat him down and waited for him to finish then carried him back to bed. Instead of heading to his room, he sat down on the nightstand next to Noah's bed and watched him sleep. Scout lifted his head and whined quietly, asking if everything was okay.

"It's okay, boy," Gibbs whispered as he reached out and rubbed his hand over the dog's head. Scout laid his head back down and closed his eyes while Gibbs sat and watched his little boy sleep. As he looked at the small, innocent child sleeping peacefully he concluded another trip to see D'Arcy was in order. He had to make sure Joshua was safe and being cared for. He knew he wouldn't have any peace until got some answers about the boy.

* * *

><p>Visits to D'Arcy's office were becoming so regular Gibbs no longer got turned around in the maze of hallways and office cubicles. With an orange soda in one hand and coffee in the other, he easily made his way to the third floor office overlooking a small courtyard.<p>

"Special Agent Gibbs," D'Arcy greeted cheerfully, "I had a feeling I was going to be seeing you soon. The FBI was here the other day asking questions. When Noah's name popped up I knew it wouldn't be long before I heard from you."

Gibbs smirked as he handed her the soda. "Fornell?" he asked.

"Um, he left me his business card," D'Arcy said rifling through the stacks of paperwork covering her desk. "Here we go, yes, T.C. Fornell. Friend of yours?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Gibbs admitted.

"What would you like to know?" D'Arcy asked.

"I want to know about Noah's half-sisters and half-brother," Gibbs answered.

D'Arcy smiled and nodded. She'd just looked up the information for Fornell days earlier and it was still fresh in her head. "All three girls were adopted by loving families who have no idea how they were conceived. They're all doing great, all loved and very well cared for."

"And Joshua?" Gibbs asked a little relieved with the news about the girls.

D'Arcy hesitated. The kids who'd had to struggle most of their lives were difficult, there were no quick fixes or easy solutions. "Joshua's mother could hardly take care of herself, let alone her child," she answered. "He was put into foster care almost a year ago after being found scrounging through garbage cans, looking for food."

"Was he physically abused?" Gibbs asked.

D'Arcy shook her head. "Only neglect. His mother's in a psychiatric hospital right now getting help."

"Will Joshua go back to her?" Gibbs asked.

"Unfortunately she was pretty far gone by the time she was admitted," D'Arcy said. "The likelihood of her being deemed a fit parent and able to raise Josh is slim to none."

Gibbs sat quietly, absorbing the new information and contemplating his next step. "What's Joshua like?" he asked.

"Joshua's a real sweet kid," D'Arcy said with a warm smile. "He's very smart, a hard worker and eager to please. In some ways he's like Noah, learning how to be a kid and not worry about adult matters like where he's going to get his next meal and such."

Gibbs was quiet for another moment, sipping his coffee while his thoughts raced. "Can I meet him?" he asked.

D'Arcy smiled as she studied Gibbs. She knew him well enough to know what was going through his head with regards to the seven year old. "I can arrange that," she said, "but can I give you some advice, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded, grateful for any words of wisdom the woman was willing to offer.

"Don't meet Joshua until you're sure of what you want to get out of the meeting," D'Arcy said. "If you go into the meeting knowing you just want to check on his wellbeing it'll be a little easier when it comes time to leave. If you go in there unsure of what you want, there's a good chance your heart will make the decision for you and you'll walk away with a child."

"How'd you know?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"You have a big heart," D'Arcy answered, "and people with big hearts have to know how to set limitations otherwise they end up biting off more than they can chew."

"Good advice," Gibbs said. That was one of the reasons he loved D'Arcy. She knew her job inside and out. She was a pro. "I would like to meet him but I think I will take time to figure some things out. I'll give you a call in a couple days and see if we can set up a time."

"I'll be looking forward to it," D'Arcy said.

* * *

><p>By the time Friday evening rolled around Gibbs had made some progress in his decision making. A phone conversation with Cameron, Noah's therapist, informed him of the possible positive and negative effects bringing Joshua into the house could have on Noah. On one hand Noah was searching for a family and had an amazing capacity to love. On the other hand there was the very big possibility of sibling rivalry, which he dealt with all too often between Tony, Tim and Ziva, as well as the possibility of Noah feeling like his place in Gibbs' life was being threatened. Cameron was willing to work with them ahead of time to help Gibbs effectively handle any situations that were sure to arise should he choose to bring Joshua into his home.<p>

Gibbs knew he wouldn't have any problems financially and he had an empty bedroom. He'd gone over things in his mind and was feeling good about all the information he'd gathered to help him make his decision but he did want to talk to Noah and get his take on the situation as well as Jenny considering their relationship was growing more serious as they spent more time together. It was still a big decision that would fall solely on his shoulders but he was feeling more and more confident by the day.

After a long week at work, Gibbs was looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home with Noah. After they arrived home, Gibbs left Noah in his room to change into shorts as he did every evening while he headed down the hall to change out of his work clothes into something more casual. The little boy's wild laughter peaked his curiosity as he pulled his jeans on and fastened them. He pulled a t-shirt over his head and headed back down the hall to check on his son.

When he arrived at the door to Noah's room he found the little boy lying on the floor with Scout standing over him licking his face. Noah squirmed and giggled, trying to speak but failing because he was laughing so hard. Gibbs patted the dog's hind end then lifted Noah into his arms. "I think Scout missed you today, Buddy."

"Him gived me lots of kisses," Noah said with a smile, using Gibbs' shirt to dry his face.

"What would you like for dinner, Buddy?" Gibbs asked as he carried Noah downstairs with Scout following close behind.

"Um, I thinked that I will like some mash a'tatoes," Noah said.

"Mashed potatoes sound good," Gibbs said. "What would you like to go with them?"

"Uh, cookies?" Noah asked.

Gibbs smiled and kissed Noah's cheek. "Nice try, Kiddo," he said. "We can have some cookies for snack but we have to eat dinner first. How does meatloaf sound?"

"Meatloaf?" Noah repeated. He looked at Gibbs with a confused look on his face and shrugged his shoulders. He'd never had meatloaf before.

"We'll have meatloaf," Gibbs said. "You'll love it." He stood Noah on the floor in the kitchen and started gathering ingredients. "Do you want to color a picture or play with your play-doh while I make dinner?"

"No," Noah said. He was content just to be close to his daddy and watch. "Daddy, can Mommy give me a bath tonight?"

"We'll have to call her and ask her," Gibbs said, "but if she can come over, it's fine with me."

"Can I call her right now?" Noah asked.

Gibbs pulled his cell phone off his belt, dialed Jenny's number then handed the phone to Noah. Noah walked around the kitchen with Squirt tucked under one arm and the phone in the other while he waited for Jenny to answer.

"Hello," Jenny said.

"Mommy," Noah said with a smile. It was the first time he'd actually been allowed to talk on the phone and he couldn't have been more excited. "Can you come over and give me a bath and tuck me in and read me a bedtime story and kiss my forehead?"

Jenny laughed at how specific Noah was. "Did your daddy say it was okay?" she asked.

Noah nodded his head, forgetting Jenny couldn't see him.

"You have to talk to her, Buddy," Gibbs reminded gently.

"Yeah, Daddy sayed it was okay," Noah said. "Him dialed a phone so I can asked you."

"Sure Sweetheart," Jenny said, "I'll be over in a little bit. Can I talk to your daddy?"

Noah nodded his head again before passing the phone to Gibbs. He stood between Scout and Gibbs to watch his dad prepare dinner while Gibbs talked on the phone. Jenny confirmed that it was okay for her to come over and accepted Gibbs' dinner invitation. They'd had lunch together a couple times that week but he hadn't thought to invite her to dinner. He was so used to people just stopping by that most of the time he didn't even think about inviting them over. He made a mental note to make more of an effort with Jenny because he really did want things to work out between them.

Dinner passed over silly conversations with Noah about everything from the multicolored elephants in the storybook he'd read at school earlier that day to what he wanted to do that weekend. Jenny hadn't seen him very much that week and hadn't realized how much she'd missed him. She decided she wanted to spend more time with him and be more involved in his life. After Noah went to sleep that night she would talk to Gibbs about having lunch with him occasionally and possibly picking him up from daycare a couple times a week.

"If you want to give him a bath I'll get dinner cleaned up," Gibbs said, "then maybe we can play a game before bedtime."

"That sounds like fun," Jenny said. "Does that sound like fun to you, Noah?"

"We can play Chutes and Ladders?" Noah asked with a hopeful smile.

"Sure Bud," Gibbs said. "I'll get the game all set up while Mommy gives you a bath. Okay?"

Noah nodded at Gibbs as Jenny picked him up. She knew he was fully capable of walking but she wanted to be close to him and love on him. Not only did she want that closeness with him, she knew he needed it as well. He'd had very little affection during the first four years of his life and she was determined to make up for it.

While Jenny filled the bathtub, Noah put all his toys in the tub and retrieved his bubble bath. He watched as Jenny added a decent amount and the bubbles started forming on the surface. At his old house bath time was nothing short of terrifying but Gibbs had managed to transform it into one of his favorite times of day.

"Alright Baby Boy," Jenny said, "can you take your clothes off for me?"

"Okay," Noah said as he bounced around happily. He was thrilled to have his mother around, excited about bath time and couldn't wait to play a game with his new daddy and mommy. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and climbed into the bathtub. He didn't waste any time squeezing the bubbles through his fingers and sailing his boats through the bubble fog until the shark attacked the ship and sunk it.

Noah giggled as the tug boat pulled one of the other ships around, a diver speared the 'bad guy' shark and a tidal wave overturned every toy in its path. Jenny laughed along with Noah, taking joy in his pleasure. He was a picture of cuteness with bubbles hanging from his chin, clean, wet hair plastered to his head and splashing happily in the water with all his toys.

* * *

><p>After dinner was put away and the kitchen cleaned, Gibbs got out Chutes and Ladders and set it up. He could hear Noah playing in the bathtub and the sound of his giggles brought a smile to his face. He started a pot of coffee then headed upstairs to check on his little boy while it brewed. He poked his head in the bathroom and found Jenny sitting on the floor next to the bathtub sailing one of Noah's boats while the little boy sailed a different one in the opposite direction.<p>

"We're all done in here," Jenny told Gibbs. "Noah's just playing and entertaining me."

"He's good at that," Gibbs said. He smiled at Noah and winked at Jenny. "He'll play in there all night if you let him." He dipped his hand into the water to see if it had grown cold yet.

"No Daddy," Noah said. "Mommy can get me out."

"Relax Kiddo," Gibbs said rubbing his hand over Noah's wet head, "I'm not going to take away your mommy and me time."

"Is a game ready?" Noah asked.

"It's ready whenever you are," Gibbs said. "You can play until the water gets cold."

"I think I will get out now," Noah said, "but I want Mommy to help me."

"Okay," Gibbs said with a smirk, "I'll see you two downstairs."

Jenny got Noah out of the tub and wrapped him in a towel. While the water drained the two worked together to get all the toys out and put them back in their basket. Noah had more bath toys than any child Jenny knew but it was clear how much he enjoyed his time in the tub. She was honored that he wanted her to enjoy it with him and thankful that Gibbs had given her the opportunity. Taking on the role of Noah's mother was having a lot bigger effect on her than she originally thought it would. She longed to spend more time with the child.

"You forgetted to kiss my forehead, Mommy," Noah said as Jenny carried him down the hall towards his room.

"How silly of me," Jenny said. She kissed Noah's forehead then hugged him tightly and simply held him close for a moment.

"What a matter, Mommy?" Noah asked.

"Nothing Baby," Jenny said. "I just love you, that's all."

Noah smiled and cuddled in close. He wondered if there was something he could do to show Jenny he loved her back. He knew it was okay for her to give him hugs and kisses but he wasn't sure if it was okay for him to give her hugs and kisses. He would have to ask Gibbs about that.

Jenny helped him change into his pajamas then Noah grabbed Squirt, held onto Jenny's hand and the two headed downstairs to where Gibbs was waiting at the dining room table with his cup of coffee. Noah plopped Squirt into one of the chairs and climbed into Gibbs' lap. Gibbs smiled up at Jenny who was quite wet after Noah's bath.

"Do you want to borrow one of my shirts?" he asked.

Jenny smiled gratefully. "Yes please."

"T-shirts are in the second drawer from the top, long sleeve tees are in the drawer under that," Gibbs said, "take your pick."

Jenny thanked him then headed for the stairs. Noah watched as she disappeared then looked up at Gibbs with big questioning eyes.

"Daddy," he whispered, "I have a question."

"What's on your mind, Buddy?" Gibbs asked.

"Come closer," Noah whispered peeking into the living room to make sure Jenny wasn't coming. Gibbs lowered his head to Noah's level and smiled when the little boy cupped his hands to his ear. "Is it okay for to give Mommy a hug or a kiss?" he asked.

"You can give Mommy all the hugs and kisses you want," Gibbs said.

"I can give everybody I know hugs and kisses?" Noah asked.

"You can give your friends hugs if it's okay with them," Gibbs said, "but we usually save kisses for people in our family."

"Like you and Tony and Abby and all of them?"

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "Exactly."

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Where I should kiss them at?" Noah asked.

"Why don't you kiss them on their cheeks or their forehead," Gibbs suggested.

"Okay," Noah said with a smile. "We is gonna play Chutes and Ladders now?"

"Yep," Gibbs said kissing the top of Noah's head before standing him on the floor so he could choose a chair.

Jenny made it downstairs part of the way through Noah's conversation with Gibbs and waited out of sight in the living. When the two were done talking she headed into the dining room and smiled at Gibbs as she sat down next to him. She hadn't realized how hurt Noah had been, how much of his childhood innocence had been stolen from him. Some of it he could never get back but with Gibbs' help and the help of the others who loved him, he was slowly learning to be a child again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

Jenny sat on the edge of Noah's bed stroking the little boy's hair as he slept. Gibbs stood over her watching, his hands resting on her shoulders. There was something peaceful about watching a child sleep that couldn't be explained. It had been a wonderful Friday night filled with fun and laughter. Noah was really starting to settle in and beginning to realize that Gibbs was on his side and wanted nothing but the best for him. He was learning what it was like to have a mommy who loved him and a family that supported him. For the first time in his life people actually cared about him.

"I need to talk to you about something," Gibbs whispered as he gently squeezed Jenny's shoulder.

Jenny nodded and brushed her fingers through Noah's hair once more before following Gibbs down to the living room. She was a little nervous about what he was going to say. Was it bad news? Was something wrong with Noah? Did he not want to work things out between them anymore? She sat down next to him on the couch and relaxed slightly when he took her hand in his. She thought that was a good sign. People normally didn't hold hands with the one they were getting ready to break up with, or did they? Was he just trying to let her down easy?

"Jen, are you with me?" Gibbs asked, noticing the distant look in her eyes.

"Yeah," Jenny said meeting his eyes, "sorry."

Gibbs watched her for a moment, making sure she was okay before he broke the news about Joshua. "I had lunch with Fornell on Wednesday."

"Yeah?" Jenny turned and smiled at him. Fornell was good. It meant nothing was wrong between them or with Noah. "What's he up to?"

"He just closed a case he thought I might be interested in," Gibbs said. "Brock Ellis was shot and killed last weekend when he broke into a house in Maryland and tried to rape the woman who lived there."

"Brock Ellis?" Jenny asked shaking her head as she couldn't place the name.

"Noah's biological father," Gibbs said.

"Oh," Jenny said stopping to think. "Noah just turned five. That means he would've been conceived nearly six years ago. Ellis is still out there after all that time?"

Gibbs nodded. "That's not all," he said. "Noah has three half-sisters and one half-brother."

Jenny searched Gibbs' face, unable to comprehend the news. "What?" she asked, sure she'd misheard him.

"All by different mothers," Gibbs said, "the women Ellis raped."

Jenny's eyes narrowed as her mind filled with questions. "Where are they? What happened? Does Noah know? What's— I don't…" she was finding it harder and harder to complete her thoughts.

Gibbs rested his hand behind her neck and started gently squeezing, trying to calm her. "The three girls were all given up for adoption when they were born," he explained. "They're all happy and healthy and neither them nor their adoptive parents know how they were conceived. The boy, Josh, is seven years old and he lives in a foster home nearby. D'Arcy said his mother could hardly take care of herself, let alone him. She says he's a great kid, smart, happy, eager to please. She said he's kind of like Noah, trying to learn how to be a kid again."

"Was he…" Jenny couldn't finish her thought. She really didn't want to say the words.

"No," Gibbs answered, knowing what she was trying to ask, "he was never molested or physically abused. He was neglected though. He became a ward of the state after being found scrounging through garbage cans looking for food. That was about a year ago."

"Have you met him?" Jenny asked. "Or, are you planning to? What are you thinking about doing?"

"I haven't met him yet," Gibbs said. "I have talked to D'Arcy though."

"Are you going to adopt him?" Jenny asked. There were so many questions spinning around in her mind. The news had caught her completely off guard. "Does Noah know?"

"Noah doesn't know yet," Gibbs answered. "I wanted to talk to you first." Jenny looked over at him, surprised by the statement. "I know things haven't gotten too serious between us since Paris but I don't see any reason why they won't and if you're going to be part of my life then I feel like we should talk this over."

"Wow," Jenny said. "Wow, I uh, if he's Noah's brother then I definitely think it's something you should consider. Rapist father or not, they're family. What do you think?"

"We're thinking along the same lines," Gibbs said starting to play with her fingers. "The fact that he's Noah's biological brother and living in foster care is a big deal for me. The girls are fine, they're happy and well cared for. I don't see any reason to disrupt their lives but if Joshua doesn't have a permanent family I'd like to give him one as long it's not going to have a negative effect on Noah."

"I agree," Jenny said. "The family you've built for yourself has so much love to give. I think that would be beneficial for Joshua and I couldn't think of a better father for a kid to have."

Gibbs smiled at the compliment as he snaked his hand around to her face, brushing his thumb lovingly across her cheek. Jenny leaned into his touch, bringing her hand up to rest on top of his. The two leaned closer until their lips met. Jenny's hands found Gibbs' face as she leaned into him and their kiss turned passionate. Their make out session didn't last long, both knowing they wouldn't stop if things went much further.

* * *

><p>Gibbs loaded Noah in the car early Saturday afternoon after the chores had been done and the two headed for the Tidal Basin. It meant Noah would miss his nap but at five years old he was starting to outgrow naptime anyways. Gibbs wanted to take advantage of the last days of nice weather and explore some of the historical monuments in the area, knowing Noah had spent the majority of his life hiding in closets and under beds. The park was filled with other people, some tourists, some locals but it was big enough it didn't feel crowded.<p>

Gibbs and Noah stopped at a concession stand and bought a couple hot dogs for lunch before starting their exploration. They headed for the Jefferson Monument and admired the statue with the others who had gathered. Noah was in awe of its size and listened carefully as Gibbs explained how it was a statue of a man who used to be the president long ago. Once they were done at the Memorial, they found a quiet place to sit alongside the water and rest their legs while Gibbs changed the conversation to something a little more important than the small talk they'd been passing the time with.

"Noah, what would you think about having a brother?" Gibbs asked, unsure about how to get the conversation going.

"Tony and Timmy are my brothers," Noah said picking at the grass in front of him.

"Uh-huh but what about a brother who was closer to your age?" Gibbs asked.

Noah scratched his head and thought about it. "I can have another brother?" he asked. "You will buy me one if I want you to?"

"You can't buy brothers, Baby Boy," Gibbs said running his hand through Noah's hair. He paused before continuing. "You have another brother, Noah. Your dad had another child."

"My other dad?" Noah asked. Gibbs nodded, watching his boy closely. "Mom sayed him was a bad guy and her sayed that I am just like him. I'm a bad guy too."

"You're not a bad guy, Buddy," Gibbs assured him. "Your mom was pretty sick and she should've never said those things to you because they weren't true."

"Where my brother is?" Noah asked.

"He's living with another family right now," Gibbs answered.

"Is him old like Tony?" Noah asked trying to comprehend why he'd never met this brother. "Does him has his own house?"

"No, he's seven years old," Gibbs said, "just a little bit older than you. He's living in a house where some other people are taking very good care of him."

"Why him don't live with me if him is my brother?" Noah asked.

"Nobody knew you were brothers until a couple days ago," Gibbs explained, wondering how much of this Noah was actually comprehending.

"I can play with him?" Noah asked.

"Do you want to play with him?" Gibbs asked.

Noah thought for a minute. "Is him nice?"

"Well, I've never met him but Ms. D'Arcy says he's very nice," Gibbs said.

"Is him gonna live with us now?" Noah asked. "Are you gonna be him's new daddy?"

"Would you like him to come live with us?" Gibbs asked.

Noah stopped to think again. His piercing blue eyes met Gibbs' and a serious expression spread across his face. "Will you still love me?"

"Noah, I will always love you," Gibbs said. "Nothing anybody ever does will change that."

Noah smiled as Gibbs pulled him into his arms and kissed his head. "I thinked that him can come and live with us if him is nice."

Gibbs smiled and kissed the top of Noah's head again. "I'll go talk to Ms. D'Arcy next week. There's some complicated adult stuff we have to work out but we'll see what we can do. Okay?"

"When him is coming?" Noah asked.

"It's going to be a little while, Buddy," Gibbs said.

"We can go picked him up today," Noah suggested.

"I need to talk to Ms. D'Arcy first," Gibbs said. "We need her to help us with some paperwork."

Noah nodded as if he understood even though Gibbs suspected he didn't. "Is him lookin' him's family?" Noah asked.

"I don't know, Kiddo," Gibbs said.

"I think that I can share my new Mommy with him," Noah said.

Gibbs smiled as he wrapped Noah tighter in his arms. "You are such a sweet little boy," he whispered into his hair. "I think I'm the luckiest daddy in the world."

* * *

><p>After spending a good part of the afternoon exploring the Tidal Basin on foot and skipping his naptime, it was obvious Noah was struggling to keep his eyes open. The two of them headed back to the house, stopping to pick up a pizza on the way. By the time Gibbs parked the car in his driveway, Noah was nearly asleep in the backseat. Gibbs put the pizza on top of the car then got Noah out and they headed into the house.<p>

"Take your shoes off, Buddy, then we'll have some pizza."

"A pizza smells yummy!" Noah said starting to wake up again.

"It sure does," Gibbs said toeing off his shoes then walking into the kitchen with Noah following close being him. He pulled out two paper plates, helped Noah wash his hands in the kitchen sink then the two sat down at the table and devoured the pizza. The hot dog they had for lunch didn't do much to fill them up and all the walking around and playing in the park had made them very hungry. Gibbs even let Noah have a Pepsi with his dinner, thinking the sugar and caffeine wouldn't have too much of an effect on the tired little boy.

After getting their fill of pizza and soda, Gibbs put the one leftover piece in the refrigerator and cleaned up the trash. Noah had found his second wind and was ready to play some more. Gibbs decided they could have a campout in the living room. He and Noah built a simple version of a tent with a large sheet and spread out a couple sleeping bags under it. Gibbs retrieved a flashlight for each of them then built a fire in the fireplace and collected everything they'd need to make s'mores. He knew he might regret giving Noah more sugar when bedtime rolled around but he was willing to take the risk. He wanted it to be a fun night.

They both changed into their pajamas then spent the evening making s'mores, telling silly stories and making shadow puppets using their flashlights. When Noah started slowing down again Gibbs knew it was a good time to start thinking about bed.

"Do you want to sleep down here in our tent or upstairs in your bed?" Gibbs asked.

"Will you sleep down here too?" Noah asked not wanting to be left alone.

"I sure will," Gibbs said, "I bet Scout will too."

Noah smiled and crawled into his sleeping bag. He was having a blast camping out in the living room with Gibbs and Scout and didn't want to go to sleep yet. He decided to just lie down for a couple minutes to watch cartoons and relax until he felt like getting up again. "You has to get in your 'leeping bag too, Daddy," he said.

Gibbs smiled as he scooted into his sleeping bag then kissed Noah's forehead. He knew the little boy didn't plan on falling asleep yet but he also knew how exhausted he was, despite all the sugar he'd had that evening. Sure enough, a short time later Noah was snoring softly while Goofy was attempting to learn how to ski on the TV screen. Gibbs stopped the movie, checked the fire that was dying out then climbed back into his sleeping bag and grabbed his book to read until he fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

It was Tuesday afternoon before Gibbs had time to see D'Arcy again. Instead of meeting in her office, this time the two decided to sit down and have lunch together. The met at an Italian restaurant about halfway between the Navy Yard and D'Arcy's office. After ordering their meals they got right down to business.

"I've had some time to think about things and speak with a few people," Gibbs said. "I'm ready to meet Joshua and as long as everything works out, I'd also like to adopt him."

"I suspected that was the conclusion you'd come to," D'Arcy said with a knowing smile. "When I get back to my office I'll put a call into Joshua's foster parents and set up a time for you to meet him."

"Noah's got a doctor appointment tomorrow," Gibbs said. "It's just a check-up but it's going to have to be Thursday before I can get together with Josh."

"That should be fine," D'Arcy said making a note in her calendar.

"Thanks for doing this, D'Arcy," Gibbs said. "I know you've bent a few rules and made a few exceptions and I really appreciate it."

"I know any child I put with you is going to be happy and healthy and most importantly loved," D'Arcy said. "I'm happy to do this for you and the boys." She tucked her calendar away in her purse then looked back up at Gibbs. "Now, you don't have to make any decisions before you meet Joshua. You can take all the time you need to decide if he'd be a good fit for your family but I've already been doing a little bit of checking for you."

Gibbs nodded before taking a swig of his coffee. Anxious excitement filled his body as he listened.

"Because you're already in the process of adopting Noah and because the boys are biological brothers and we like to try to keep siblings together we wouldn't draw out the process it would normally take to transfer the custody of the child from one home to another. We get to skip a few of the steps we normally have to take."

"That's good news," Gibbs said. The waitress brought their food, refilled their drinks then left them alone once again.

"Josh won't be told that you're considering adopting him but most of the kids in foster care have figured out that when an adult wants to spend time with them it's because they're considering adoption," D'Arcy said. "Be prepared for questions along those lines and also for behavior that's a little above average. Sometimes the kids will try to impress prospective parents. Joshua knows nothing about Noah. He doesn't even know he has a brother."

"Can I tell him?" Gibbs asked.

"If you decide you want to adopt him, absolutely," D'Arcy said. "If you're unsure or don't think he'd be a good fit in your home then I'd ask you to wait. I would suspect Joshua's going to have questions about meeting his brother and I'd like to have answers for him. We'll need to figure out if we want the boys to be in contact and such."

"That makes sense," Gibbs said. "What's Josh like? Any discipline problems? Health concerns? Is he a happy child?"

"We don't send any of our children away under false pretenses or hide any truths from prospective parents," D'Arcy explained. "It's a lot harder on the kids when they have to return to foster care because things didn't work out with their new families so we try to make sure new parents have all the information we can give them. Joshua is very intelligent. He gets along well with his foster siblings, he's helpful, loving, eager to please almost to a fault; he really is a great kid. The reason he's still in foster care is because most people want infants or toddlers so he's a little out of that range but he really is a sweetheart, despite what his mother put him through."

The two ate quietly for a moment, D'Arcy waiting to see if Gibbs had any more questions before she asked one of her own. "Have you told Noah?"

"Yeah," Gibbs said with a laugh, "he's excited. He wanted to go pick Joshua up this past weekend. He's already said he's willing to share his new mommy and he's looking forward to playing with him."

"His new mommy?" D'Arcy asked.

"A while back he asked Jen if she'd be his mommy," Gibbs explained. "Originally we were a little worried since she's not living with us but it seems to be working out well. I am a little worried about how he's going to take to Josh though. I don't think he fully grasps the concept of having a brother closer to his age living with us. He considers Tony's his brother but DiNozzo's self sufficient. They play, goof around together then Tony goes home and they do it again another day. I'm not sure how Noah's going to react when he realizes he has to share Dad with somebody else."

"It's definitely going to be an adjustment," D'Arcy said, "for all of you. Just make sure Noah knows he's still loved and he's still your special little boy and things should work themselves out. Do things separately with each boy and do things together as a family. I have faith you guys will figure it out. Some people I'd worry about but not you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled and nodded his appreciation. He was looking forward to being a father to both the boys. He knew things might be difficult at first but was confident it would all work out.

* * *

><p>Abby showed up at Gibbs' house on Tuesday night just after he and Noah had finished washing the dishes. Her bowling practice with the nuns had been cancelled due to a couple of the sisters being sick but the Goth wasn't in the mood to stay home alone and she had to work the following day so she didn't want to go to the bar. Instead she decided to go hang out with Gibbs and Noah for a little while. They decided to walk down to the playground so Scout could stretch his legs and Noah could play for a little while.<p>

After a brief argument over whether Noah was going to wear shorts or long pants, the little boy finally agreed to put long pants on and they were off. Noah held onto Scout's leash with one hand while he hopped and skipped happily between Gibbs and Abby, kicking rocks down the street and stomping on crunchy looking leaves. When they made it to the playground Noah handed Scout's leash to Gibbs then hurried off to play while Gibbs and Abby sat down on one of the benches.

"So, a couple of the sisters are sick," Gibbs said resting his arm on the bench behind Abby. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Abby said. "Why?"

"Because I know you wouldn't tell me if you were sick," Gibbs said.

Abby laughed uncomfortably at Gibbs' assessment, knowing he was right. "I'm fine," she said, "really." It wasn't long before Noah came bouncing over to where they were sitting and stopped in front of Abby, looking up at her with big puppy eyes. "What do you want, Little Man?" Abby asked lightly tapping the end of his nose.

"Will push me on a swing?" Noah asked. "I want to go higher and higher and higher!" he said waving his arms in the air.

"I will if you promise to hold on real tight," Abby said.

"I promise! I promise!" Noah said jumping up and down in front of Abby. As soon as she stood from the bench he all but dragged her over to the swing set where the other little girl who was there was also swinging. Noah smiled shyly at her as he climbed into the swing next to the one she was using.

"Hi Sweetie," Abby greeted. "What's your name?"

The redhead glanced over at her mother then at Noah and Abby. "Hanna," she said.

"Aw, that's a pretty name," Abby said. "I'm Abby and this is Noah."

"'top it," Noah said, blushing slightly.

"Do you have a crush?" Abby whispered in his ear.

"No!" Noah said. "What a crush is?"

"A crush means you like someone," Abby explained. "Do you think Hanna's pretty?"

Noah peeked around Abby and smiled sweetly at Hanna then looked back at Abby. "Don't tell her, kay?"

Abby smiled at Noah as she kissed his temple. "I won't tell her." She pushed both Noah and Hanna on the swing while she talked to both kids.

"Looks like our kids have made friends," the woman sitting near Gibbs said. "I'm Laci."

"Jethro," Gibbs said with a friendly smile. "You guys live around here?"

"We live in that house right there," Laci said pointing to the house that sat directly across from the playground.

Gibbs nodded. "We live on East Laurel," he said pointing back towards his street. "Noah and I do, Abby's just visiting."

"How old is Noah?" Laci asked conversationally. "I don't think I've seen him around before."

"Noah's new to the neighborhood," Gibbs said. He wasn't usually very open with people but didn't see any harm in speaking to his neighbor. He'd seen her around on occasion and she was always friendly. "I'm adopting him."

"That's wonderful!" Laci said. "How old is he? My Hanna's six."

"Noah just turned five," Gibbs said.

"Daddy?" Noah called as he walked over to Gibbs.

"What Baby Boy?" Gibbs asked, helping Noah climb into his lap.

Noah looked over at Laci to see if she was listening then looked back at Gibbs. "See that girl over there with Abby?" Gibbs looked over at Hanna and nodded. "Her's name is Hanna. Can her come to our house and play with me? I promise I will be a very good boy and I will share all my toys with her."

"Not tonight because it's almost bedtime," Gibbs answered, "but I'll talk to Hanna's mommy and we'll set up a time for her to come over."

"Really?" Noah asked.

"Mm-hmm," Gibbs said kissing his head. "Why don't you go say goodbye to Hanna so we can start walking home. It's time for your bath."

"Aw, man," Noah pouted, "we have to leave already?"

"Sorry Kiddo," Gibbs said. "You have school tomorrow."

"Do I still has to go to a doctor 'ppointment?" Noah asked.

"Yep," Gibbs said, "just a checkup."

"I would rather stay here to play," Noah said, his eyes pleading.

"I know you would, Bud," Gibbs said, "but right now it's time to go. We'll come back and play some more soon."

"Is Abby coming with us?"

"Yep," Gibbs answered. "Can you tell her it's time to go while you say goodbye to Hanna?"

Noah puffed his lip out before turning and dawdling over to where Abby and Hanna were and plopping down in the sand between them. While he was saying his goodbyes, Gibbs gave Laci one of his business cards so she could call and set up a play date. Abby came back holding Noah's hand while Noah glanced over his shoulder and waved goodbye to his new friend. Gibbs handed him Scout's leash then they headed back to the house.

After Noah's bath they all sat down and played a couple games of Trouble. Noah was still having some struggles with counting and recognizing numbers but he was catching on quickly. All the repetitive counting while they played board games was helping immensely and it didn't feel like work at all. Noah was having a blast playing and learning in the process. They played a couple rounds then Abby said her goodbyes and Gibbs took Noah upstairs to put him to bed.

"Where my brother is?" Noah asked as he climbed into bed.

"I bet he's getting ready to go to bed, just like you are," Gibbs said covering the little boy up.

"When him is coming here?" Noah asked. "I want him to come right now."

"Maybe next week," Gibbs said brushing Noah's bangs from his face.

"How long that will be?" Noah asked.

"After the weekend when you and I get to stay home together," Gibbs answered.

"Daddy?"

"What Buddy?"

"You can turn my light off tonight," Noah said bravely.

"Are you sure, Kiddo?" Gibbs asked. Noah looked up at Gibbs and nodded. "How about we leave the nightlight on," Gibbs suggested, "just in case."

"Um, I think that will be okay," Noah said with a smile.

Gibbs leaned down and kissed Noah's forehead before reading him his bedtime story. Noah's eyes were already starting to drift closed by the time Gibbs finished the book. He plugged Noah's nightlight in, turned his bedroom light off then left him to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Noah felt the hand on his throat and gasped. He tried to suck air into his lungs but couldn't. He struggled to break free but the hand was too strong. <em>

"_Wake up you little shit," JP said, "your mom's passed out and I need someone to suck me off."_

_The hand finally moved from Noah's neck and the little boy scrambled to a sitting position, sucking in deep breaths of air. The smell of booze and body odor choked the air making Noah want to gag._

"_Just remember," JP said firmly as he dropped his pants to his ankles, "you bite me and I'll kill you. Got it?"_

Tears streamed down Noah's cheeks as he felt wet sloppy kisses all over his face. Scout had awakened when Noah started shaking and kicking in his sleep and sensed something was wrong. He licked his boy's face in an attempt to wake him but like so many times before, Noah was stuck in his nightmare.

Gibbs woke when he heard Scout bark down the hall. He was out of bed and down the hall in an instant. He flipped Noah's light on and found the dog laying almost on top of the little boy whining and licking his face while Noah thrashed around in bed.

"Good boy," Gibbs said rubbing his hand over Scout's head. Scout backed up enough Gibbs could sit down next to Noah and the dog continued crying softly. He was worried about his boy.

Gibbs ran his hand through Noah's hair while he called his name, trying to wake him. Noah fought against Gibbs and tried to push him away while he cried out and moaned.

"Noah, wake up, you're safe," Gibbs said. "You're having a bad dream."

"Daddy," Noah groaned.

"Daddy's here," Gibbs said. "Open your eyes, Baby Boy." Gibbs brushed his thumb over Noah's cheek, waiting for him to fully wake up. Noah's eyelids flicked open a few times. "That's it," Gibbs encouraged. "Open your eyes. I know you can do it."

"Daddy," Noah cried, his eyes finally opening as he lifted his hands up to Gibbs.

"Daddy's got you," Gibbs said lifting Noah into his arms and holding him close. He kissed the little boy's head and bounced him gently as he patted his back, trying to soothe him. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked after Noah had calmed some.

"I don't want it in my mouth," Noah said.

"You don't want what in your mouth?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't—" Noah stopped and looked up at Gibbs, their eyes meeting. Fear and embarrassment replaced the tears and he decided he couldn't tell Gibbs about his dream. He didn't want Gibbs to know what he'd done. He was too ashamed. It made him feel dirty and he didn't want Gibbs to know what a dirty little boy he was. "Don't leave me," he whispered around a yawn as he cuddled further into Gibbs' chest.

Gibbs kissed the top of Noah's head as he held him close. "I won't," he said. He wondered if Noah would ever open up to him about what had happened to him or the nightmares that plagued him. He was worried about the little boy keeping so much bottled up inside but at the same time didn't want to push too much and have Noah end up shutting down. He decided to just make sure Noah knew he was there for him and wait for the child to come to him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Gibbs picked Noah up after lunch on Thursday leaving them plenty of time to get to his doctor appointment. He knew his little boy was nervous and didn't really want to go but several weeks had passed since Gibbs had first taken him to the Emergency Room to get checked out and he wanted to make sure Noah was healing and getting stronger. His new doctor, Dr. Sara Macy, also wanted to do a routine new patient exam.

Gibbs parked the car in front of the small building, got out then got Noah out.

"I don't wanna go in there," Noah said planting his feet firmly by the car as Gibbs tried to guide him towards the building.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked lifting Noah into his arms.

Noah stiffened his body. He loved his daddy and his hugs and kisses and affection but he didn't want to be carried into the doctor office either. "I don't like a doctor. Her will hurt me with a needle."

"She is going to draw your blood but you can hold my hand while she does it and squeeze it if it hurts," Gibbs said.

"What if I squeeze it harder and harder?" Noah asked. "Will it hurt you?"

"You can squeeze it as hard as you need to, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "Are you ready to go in?"

"Um, I think that I will just wait in a car," Noah said.

Gibbs smiled sympathetically at Noah. "Nice try, Buddy. Come on, I bet you she'll give you a sucker when she's all done."

A sucker didn't sound half bad to Noah but he knew his Uncle Ducky kept a drawer full of suckers in his desk that he could sneak into whenever he went for a visit and his Uncle Ducky never poked him with needles. Before he could protest he noticed that Gibbs had already carried him into the building and was talking to the receptionist. Noah buried his face in Gibbs' shoulder, wishing he could disappear.

Gibbs sat down in the waiting room with Noah in his lap and the clipboard the receptionist had given him. Noah buried his face in his daddy's chest while Gibbs filled out the new patient paperwork. Just as he was finishing it up, a nurse came out the side door and called Noah back. The five year old tightened his grip on Gibbs' shirt as soon as he heard his name. He was determined to not let go, no matter what. Gibbs stood with Noah and followed the young nurse back to an exam room, handing the clipboard back to the receptionist on his way by.

"Hi Noah," the nurse greeted, "my name is Carrie. I'm Dr. Macy's helper."

"Can you say hi?" Gibbs asked rubbing Noah's back. Noah grunted into Gibbs' chest as he tightened his grip even more. He didn't feel like talking to anybody. He didn't know the nurse or the doctor but he already didn't like them and he was upset with Gibbs for making him come in the first place.

Carrie did something on the computer that was mounted to the wall then turned to Gibbs. "We're going to take everything off but his underwear then we can get started," she said with a friendly smile.

"Alright Buddy," Gibbs said, "we got to get your t-shirt and pants off so the nurse can have a look."

"No," Noah insisted, "no, no, I don't want to. I don't wanna, Daddy!"

"You're okay," Gibbs whispered. "There are no needles out here. I promise."

"I don't wanna do this," Noah said with a trembling voice. Gibbs efforts to sit Noah on the table failed as the little boy grabbed frantically at his shirt and held on with an impressive grip. "Please don't make me!" he pleaded nearly in tears. "I love you. I love you!"

"What are you scared of, Baby Boy?" Gibbs asked quietly pulling Noah back to his chest.

Noah's quiet cries turned to sobs making his words incomprehensible. Gibbs held him tight, rocking him and patting his back while he kissed his head. "I don't want a needle pokie," he finally managed to say, "and I don't want a doctor to make you leave me here all by myself." Whenever he visited his therapist, Cameron always made Gibbs leave and Noah hated that.

"I'm not going to leave you," Gibbs promised as he wiped away the tears streaking down the boy's face. "I'll be right here with you the whole time and there are no needles out right now."

Noah peeked behind him but wasn't willing to loosen his grip at all. "I wanna go home," he begged in the middle of a large hiccup.

"I'll tell you what," Gibbs said, "when we're finished here I'll call into work and we can go home."

"No, I want to go now," Noah wailed, his cries getting more intense again. "Where Tony is?"

Gibbs couldn't help but smile at the question. "You want Tony to come save you, is that it?"

"Yes!" Noah sobbed.

"Tony would tell you the same thing I am," Gibbs said gently. "He'd tell you that you need to let the doctor have a look at you."

Noah was frustrated and knew he was going to lose the battle. Instead of continuing to argue he went limp in Gibbs' arms, hoping for mercy. Gibbs laid him down on the exam table and brushed the tears from his cheeks before leaning down and kissing his forehead. With the nurse's help he managed to get Noah's shirt and jeans off while the little boy remained completely limp and unresponsive.

"Noah, can you come stand on the scale so we can weigh you?" Carrie asked. "It won't hurt a bit."

Noah remained perfectly still, not even looking in her direction. He didn't want any part of any of it and planned on protesting to the end. Gibbs picked him, trying his best to get the little boy to cooperate. He'd known Noah didn't want to go to the doctor but he hadn't expected such a big reaction.

"Noah, I know you're scared, Buddy, but nobody's going to hurt you," Gibbs said. He looked up as a short, very thin woman entered wearing a white lab coat with Dr. Macy embroidered above the left breast pocket. "Nurse Carrie is going to weigh you and then she'll probably measure how tall you are. I bet she'll listen to your heart with her stethoscope and maybe tickle your belly to make sure your insides are where they're supposed to be. She might look in your ears and your eyes and your mouth."

"Can I call Mommy for her to come and get me?" Noah asked. His last ditch effort, the last person he could think of that might have mercy on him and save him from the doctor.

"We can call Mommy and ask her to come and sit with us but she's not going to take you home until after the doctor looks at you," Gibbs explained patiently. "Do you want me to call Mommy?" Noah shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "I'll call Mommy but then we've got to do what the doctor says because she has other patients she needs to see."

"Her can go see them," Noah said perking up slightly.

"Not till after she sees you, Baby Boy."

The doctor and nurse waited patiently while Gibbs put a quick call into Jenny asking her to come over. The doctor's office wasn't too far from the Navy Yard and Gibbs was hoping Jenny would make it before the appointment ended and it wouldn't be a wasted trip for her. After he hung up the phone Dr. Macy approached Noah.

"Hi Noah," the smaller woman said. "I'm Dr. Macy. How are you today?"

Noah looked over at the woman then laid his head on Gibbs' shoulder. He was starting to get tired and not in the mood to talk to any strangers, in fact he didn't want to talk to anybody anymore. He jerked away when the doctor patted his back and buried his face in Gibbs' neck. Gibbs finally managed to get him to stand on the scale so they could weigh and measure him before sitting him back on the exam table.

"His weight is good," Dr. Macy said, "and he's grown almost a half an inch."

"Wow," Gibbs said, "did you hear that, Noah? You're getting taller. It's from all those veggies you're eating." Noah grunted, unimpressed, as he sat hunched over on the exam table. "I know," Gibbs said rubbing his back, "you're not happy about being here."

The doctor shined her penlight into Noah's eyes and had him follow her finger then looked into his ears. Noah sat quietly on the exam table, paying close attention to everything she was doing. So far it wasn't too bad. Dr. Macy retrieved a tongue depressor and came back over to the exam table.

"Where the popsicle is?" Noah asked. "Somebody eated it?" He wondered if the appointment was over and it was treat time. The thought perked him up quite a bit.

"This looks like a popsicle stick," Dr. Marcy said with a smile, "but it's called a tongue depressor. It's going to help me look in your mouth."

"What?" Noah asked. "I don't want nothing in my mouth."

"It won't hurt," Dr. Macy said.

"No," Noah said firmly before clasping his hand over his mouth.

After his bad dream the previous evening and everything else he'd been through, Gibbs suspected he knew the reason Noah didn't want anything in his mouth and knew that even if there was a small chance he was right he needed to stick up for his little boy on the matter. "Is there another way you can look in his mouth, Doc, without sticking anything in there?"

"How about I use my penlight," Dr. Macy said. Gibbs gave her a grateful nod, his blood boiling at the thought of what Noah had most likely been through. He couldn't believe JP had gotten off so easy. He'd have to find a way to make the man pay.

Dr. Macy tossed the tongue depressor into the trashcan then turned back to Noah. "I'm just going to use my little light, Noah. I promise not to stick it in your mouth. Can you open up real wide for me?"

Noah looked over at Gibbs then back at the doctor wondering if she could be trusted.

"It's okay, Kiddo," Gibbs encouraged.

"Why don't you stick your tongue out at me," Dr. Macy suggested. "I bet you'd like to do that since I'm being the bad guy today. Can you stick your tongue out and say 'ahh' for me?"

Noah reluctantly did as he was told, keeping one hand on the doctor's hand so he could push her away if she got too close.

"Open real wide for me, Sweetie," the doctor said. "Good boy, everything inside your mouth looks a-ok." She clipped her penlight to her breast pocket then retrieved the reflex hammer. She was thankful Noah had calmed down and was attempting to cooperate even though he was clearly not happy about any of it. "I'm going to tap your leg with my rubber hammer," she explained. "It won't hurt but something fun might happen when I do it."

"Fun?" Noah asked.

Dr. Macy nodded then tapped just below Noah's knee making his leg shoot up and causing him to giggle. "Do that again," he said.

"Let's see if it works on your other leg," Dr. Macy said happy to see the five year old smiling. Noah giggled again when his opposite leg jerked forward. That was kind of fun and very neat.

One of the nurses led Jenny back to the room Noah was in while the doctor was listening to his heart and lungs. Jenny smiled at Noah as she ruffled his hair then when the doctor was done she hugged him and gave him a kiss.

"Will you take me away from this place, Mommy?" Noah asked. "I love you."

Jenny smiled at the little boy's charm. "I love you too, Baby, but we can't leave until the doctor's finished," she said brushing her fingers through his blonde hair.

"Daddy won't taked me home either," Noah frowned. The doctor took Noah's blood pressure while he talked to Jenny.

"That's because we want to make sure you're growing and you're healthy," Jenny said.

"Alright Noah, we're almost finished," Dr. Macy said. "Can you lie down so I can poke around at your tummy? It won't hurt but it might tickle a little bit."

Noah sighed deeply and looked pathetically up at Jenny and Gibbs. Nobody was going to save him. He laid down and turned his attention back to the doctor. Jenny held onto his hand while Gibbs stood next to her and rested his hand on Noah's head. The doctor poked around at Noah's abdomen, getting an occasional giggle out of him.

"Everything feels good in there," she said. "Now I'm just going to have a quick peek in your underwear, Sweetie. Okay?"

Noah looked nervously up at Gibbs. He couldn't remember if that was okay or not and he was too tired to think about it. "It's okay, Buddy," Gibbs said. "She's a doctor and Mommy and I are right here."

Dr. Macy lifted the waistband of Noah's superhero underwear and did a quick visual exam to make sure everything was healing. "Everything is looking very good," she told Gibbs and Jenny. "I've gone over the medical files you sent over from his ER visit and he's healing very nicely. I would recommend some lotion with vitamin E in it to help the scars on his back fade but other than that, he's a picture of health."

"That's wonderful," Jenny said.

"I do want a urine sample so we can run a few tests," Dr. Macy said, "and we are going to take some blood. I want to check iron levels in particular but a few other things as well."

"Alright," Gibbs said. "Which do you want first?"

"I'm thinking urine," Dr. Macy said pulling a cup out of a drawer. "Noah, can you go into the bathroom and go pee pee in this cup for me?"

"How come?" Noah asked a bit disturbed at the doctor's request.

"So the lab can run some tests on it, Sweetie," Dr. Macy answered. "Why don't you go with your daddy; he can help you with that."

While Gibbs and Noah were in the bathroom, Dr. Macy and Carrie got everything they would need to draw Noah's blood ready. Thankfully, he'd had his other shots before starting Kindergarten so only one poke with the needle was necessary. Jenny got on the phone and cleared her schedule for the rest of the day, hoping Gibbs wouldn't mind if she spent some time with Noah.

"Here my pee pee is," Noah said, handing the doctor the specimen container.

"Thank you, Noah," Dr. Macy said. "We just have one more thing and then you can leave."

"A needle pokie?" Noah asked.

"Just a little one," Dr. Macy said, "it'll feel like a little pinch."

"We just need you to be brave for a little while longer," Gibbs said lifting Noah back onto the table. "Can you do that?"

"I think I is maybe a little bit 'cared," Noah said, his eyes fixed on what Dr. Macy was doing.

"It's okay to be scared, Noah," Gibbs said, "Mommy and I are right here with you. Everything will be okay. It'll be over before you know it."

"Can-c-can I sit on you's lap?" Noah asked.

Gibbs glanced over at the doctor for approval. "Yep," he said after she nodded at him. He sat down next to Noah then pulled the little boy into his lap.

"Did a doctor ever taked your blood?" Noah asked flinching as the cool alcohol swab was run over his arm.

"Yep," Gibbs said, "but you know what? It only hurt for a second and then it was all better." Gibbs saw that Dr. Macy was ready and decided to continue talking to Noah in hopes of distracting him. "Look over there at Mommy," he said trying to divert his attention. "You know what we're going to do when we leave here? We're going to go to the store and buy a loaf of bread and then we're going to go down by the water and feed the ducks. Does that sound like fun?"

Noah scrunched his face up when the doctor inserted the needle but he focused on the conversation he was having with Gibbs. "We can feed a ducky? Will them bite?"

"Not if you toss the bread to them," Gibbs said.

"Hey, a ducky like Ducky at work," Noah said happily.

"Yeah," Gibbs said, "we know a Ducky, don't we? He's our friend."

"Ducky is nice," Noah said. "Him gives me suckers."

"He sure does," Gibbs said. "He spoils you."

"When will a shot be over?" Noah asked, still looking over at Jenny.

"The shot's already over," Gibbs said. "You're all done. You did it!"

Noah looked down at his arm in surprise. There was a Mickey Mouse band-aid covering the needle puncture. He didn't feel the needle being taken out. He was sure it was still in there. He turned back towards Gibbs and smiled up at him. Gibbs kissed his forehead and hugged him tight. While Noah got dressed, the doctor recommended a few things to help Noah's speech and prepared them for the possibility of him seeing a speech therapist. She hoped after spending so much time isolated in his mother's house that just being around other people and listening to them talk would help Noah catch on but made sure they had a backup plan just in case. With promises to call when she got the results of the blood work back, she sent the group away and headed off to see her next patient, now running slightly behind schedule.

"I cleared my schedule this afternoon, Jethro," Jenny said. "I wouldn't mind taking Noah if you need to go back to work."

"We're not working a case right now," Gibbs said. "Tony, Ziva and Tim should be okay by themselves." He looked over at Jenny and smiled. "Would you like to go feed the ducks with us?"

Jenny's face lit up at the offer. "Yes, that sounds wonderful."

* * *

><p>Gibbs, Jenny and Noah spent the rest of the afternoon feeding the ducks and strolling around the pond at one of the local parks. They stopped and let Noah play on the playground equipment with the other kids for a little while, pleased in his newfound ability to connect with other children. When Noah was done playing and the ducks had eaten all the bread, they headed to a nearby café and got sub sandwiches for dinner. They sat outside on the patio, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine as they ate and watched the people all around them. Rush hour was in full swing and the streets and sidewalks were bustling with activity.<p>

After dinner Noah crawled into his daddy's lap and curled up to rest. Missing his nap, the stress of the doctor visit and his afternoon of fun had worn him out and he just wanted to be surrounded by his father's loving arms. Gibbs kissed the top of his head and swayed him gently back and forth while he talked quietly with Jenny. It didn't take long for Noah to fall asleep so Gibbs and Jenny just sat at the table enjoying each other's company.

Gibbs told Jenny of his plans to meet with Joshua the following the day and filled her in on the conversation he'd had with D'Arcy. Jenny asked to be there when Noah and Josh met for the first time and Gibbs agreed. She was anxious to meet the boy. When the café started getting busier, they left with a still sleeping Noah. Gibbs dropped Jenny off at her car then headed home.

Noah woke on the way home, much to Gibbs' relief. He knew if he let the little boy sleep too long, he wouldn't want to go to bed that night. Noah was slightly upset when he learned his mommy had gone without him having the opportunity to say goodbye but when Gibbs assured him Jenny had given him a kiss goodbye he seemed to be satisfied. As soon as Gibbs parked the car in his driveway, Tony raced in and parked behind him.

"What happened?" Tony asked hurrying to the backdoor of Gibbs' car and getting Noah out. "What'd the doctor say? Why didn't you come back? Is Noah okay?"

Gibbs slapped the back of Tony's head to calm him down and Tony instantly stopped talking and looked up at Gibbs. "Noah's fine, everything's fine and I called you and told you I wasn't coming back."

"I know," Tony said, "but I was worried about my little Tater. I thought something was wrong and that's why you didn't come back." Tony's eyes didn't leave Noah's except when he kissed the little boy's forehead. He'd spent the afternoon trying to figure out why Gibbs had decided not to return to work and the scenarios playing out in his head had progressively gotten worse as the day wore on. By the time he left work he knew he needed to see Noah with his own two eyes to assure himself the little boy was okay.

Noah just giggled at Tony's erratic behavior and the head slap he got from their daddy. "I telled Daddy to call you for you to come get me from the meanie doctor but Daddy sayed you won't take me away till her was done poking me."

"Did you have to get a shot?" Tony asked.

Noah nodded his head, his little lips scrunched up in anger at the memory. "Her taked my blood."

"Want to know a secret?" Tony asked. Noah nodded his head eagerly. "I don't like needles either but sometimes the doctor has to poke us so we don't get sick. There's medicine in those shots."

"Medicine?" Noah asked. "How come we can't only drink it? Then you don't have to get a needle pokie."

"You know, Tater," Tony said, "I've been asking that same question for years. I think they just like to torture us."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs warned firmly.

"They don't like to torture us," Tony corrected himself, "I think it works better when it's a shot or something. Maybe we should ask the doctor next time we get a shot."

"I don't never wanna get one again!" Noah said firmly.

Tony smiled as he hugged the little boy close and kissed his head. "I'm just glad you're okay. I was worried when you didn't come back to see me."

"We was feeding the duckies," Noah said. "Not Ducky at work, the other duckies that live in a pond. You could've called me on a phone."

"Really? You have a phone?" Tony teased.

"Uh," Noah thought for a second, "just call me on Daddy's phone and him will tell me a message."

Tony laughed but nodded his head. "Next time I'll call before I get scared."

"Have you eaten yet, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shook his head as he stood Noah on the floor in the entryway. "I almost got a ticket getting here," he admitted. "Thankfully my charming smile made the female officer take pity on me. That and I thought something was wrong with Noah, luckily she was sympathetic."

Gibbs glanced suspiciously at Tony out of the corner of his eye. "It didn't have anything to do with her accidentally seeing your badge, did it?"

"Nope," Tony said, "I didn't have to use that one this time. My smile was enough."

"Daddy, can me and, uh, the doggy go outside and play?" Noah asked.

"What's the doggy's name?" Gibbs asked.

"Ss-Sco-Scc-Scout," Noah said.

Gibbs smiled and patted Noah's head. "You guys stay in the backyard."

"We will," Noah said. "Thank you."

While Noah played with Scout in the backyard, Gibbs seasoned up a steak and grilled it for Tony's dinner. Tony filled Gibbs in on the happenings at NCIS that afternoon, leaving out the prank he and Ziva had played on Tim and Abby while they were in the evidence garage. He hoped Gibbs wouldn't find out about that but even if he did the look on Tim and Abby's faces when they saw the decapitated dummy in the car made it worth it.

Noah found his way into the kitchen with his dog just as Tony was finishing up his meal and climbed into his big brother's lap. "Did you and Scout have fun outside?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," Noah said, "I throwed a ball for him and him bringed it back to me."

"Cool," Tony said. "Do you want a bite?" he asked when he saw Noah eyeing his steak.

Noah shook his head and let Tony feed him a bite. "Needs ketchup," he said after he'd chewed it up and swallowed it.

"You don't put ketchup on steak, Goofy," Tony teased. Noah giggled when Tony tickled his belly. "Thanks for dinner, Boss. I guess I should get going."

"No," Noah whined. "Don't leave."

"It's almost your bedtime, Buddy," Tony said. "I'll come back again soon and we'll play."

"How come you can't have a sleepover with me?" Noah asked. "I don't have nightmares when you have a sleepover in my bed."

"Really?" Tony asked. Noah puffed his lip out and nodded as he looked up at Tony with his big blue eyes. "Wow," Tony said, "with that look you're going to be able to get anything you want." He smiled and tweaked Noah's nose. "I think we need to ask Dad. Sometimes it's not a good idea to have sleepovers on school nights." He looked from Noah up to Gibbs, "Dad?"

"As long as you two sleep and don't stay up all night playing," Gibbs said.

Tony and Noah looked at each other and nodded slightly before looking back at Gibbs. "Deal," they both said in unison.

Gibbs laughed as he lifted Noah out of Tony's lap. "It's time for your bath, Little Man," he said.

Tony relaxed in front of the TV, unwinding after the long day at work while Gibbs gave Noah his bath. After Noah was bathed and had his pajamas on, Gibbs sat him in Tony's lap and got both his boys a glass of milk and a couple cookies to snack on before bed.

Gibbs let Noah stay cradled in Tony's lap until he fell asleep. He took his little boy up and tucked him into bed then returned to the living room where Tony had found a James Bond movie on TV to watch. "Are you going to be okay crammed in that small bed with him?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tony said. "He's not very big; he doesn't take up much room."

"I'm going to go downstairs for awhile," Gibbs said, "make yourself at home."

"Thanks Boss."

Tony spent the evening watching TV while Gibbs spent it in his basement for the first time since Christina had broken. Sometime during the middle of the night both of them made their way to bed.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

Noah yawned a big yawn and stretched his arms over his head as he woke on Thursday morning. Tony was already up and the little boy knew his daddy would be in shortly to get him up. He hoped to make him proud by already being awake and ready to go so he slipped out of bed and headed for his dresser. He chose a pair of navy blue shorts and a red Washington Nationals t-shirt then pulled his plain red hoodie off the hanger in the closet. The clothes hanger spun around and boomeranged to the floor as soon as the sweatshirt was yanked free. Noah couldn't quite reach to hang it up again so he put it on his dresser instead. He took his pajamas off then took great care in getting his clothes on the right way. Once he was satisfied he smiled at himself in the mirror then headed down the hall to brush his teeth.

Without thinking, Noah pushed the door to his bathroom open just as Tony was stepping out of the shower. His eyes grew wide at the sight and he froze.

"Oh my gosh," Tony said pulling a towel in front of himself when he saw the look of horror on Noah's face. "Noah, it's okay." He made a move towards Noah but the little boy backed up. Tony felt a little helpless being completely naked.

"No," Noah said when Tony moved towards him. "No, no, get away. Don't. I don't want to. I don't want to!"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Noah, I promise," Tony said taking another step towards him. Noah hurried down the hall and raced down the stairs, moving so fast he nearly fell. "Damn it," Tony cursed under his breath. "Boss!"

Gibbs opened his bedroom door and walked out, dressed and ready to go. "What?"

"Noah saw me naked and he freaked," Tony said furious at himself over the situation. "He walked in here when I was getting out the shower."

"Where is he?" Gibbs asked.

"He took off downstairs," Tony said.

"Alright," Gibbs said, "I'll take care of it." He hurried down the stairs and started searching for Noah's hiding spot. The little boy was definitely good at choosing out of the way places to hide. "Noah, where are you, Buddy?" he called. "Can you come out and see Daddy?"

He looked under and behind things in the living room and when he didn't see Noah in there he moved to the dining room. He didn't find him in there or the kitchen so he headed down to the basement even though Noah never went down there. When he couldn't find him in the basement he headed back upstairs and was getting ready to return to the second floor when he saw Scout sitting by the table he always threw his keys on in the entryway. He looked closer and saw Tony's jacket wrapped around a shaking figure under the table. He rubbed Scout's head, thankful for the dog's help then knelt in front of the table.

"Noah, are you under there?" he asked.

"No," Noah whispered through chattering teeth.

Gibbs smiled at the little boy's response. "Can you come out here and talk to me?"

Noah was quiet for a minute but his shaking hadn't eased up any. "Is Tony out there?" he asked.

"Tony's upstairs," Gibbs answered. "He's getting dressed."

A moment later a mess of blonde hair and two little blue eyes peeked out from under the jacket and Noah looked around the room. Gibbs gave him a minute to see that they were alone then slowly took the jacket away and picked Noah up.

"T-Tony haves a-a d-dick," Noah stuttered. "I-I see'd it."

"He sure does," Gibbs said as he carried Noah into the living room, "but he would never ever hurt you. He didn't mean for you to see his private parts."

"Why him haves private parts?" Noah asked still very upset.

"Noah, Baby, everybody has private parts," Gibbs explained. "That's one of the reasons we wear clothes."

Noah pushed himself away from Gibbs and quickly scooted to the opposite corner of the couch. "You has a dick too?"

"All boys do," Gibbs said.

Noah hid his face in shame. "JP h-haved one t-too," he stuttered. "Him-him-him m-made me touch it."

Despite the rage inside him, Gibbs listened patiently as Noah started to open to him about some of the horrors of his past. "What did he make you do, Noah?"

Noah's teeth were chattering so hard Gibbs was worried he might break one. "Him sayed for me to rub it but some yucky stuff comed out and I spitted it out on a floor and the him gotted more madder and madder. I don't wanna do it again, Daddy." Tears welled up in Noah's eyes. "I don't wanna. Pease. I will be a good boy. I will try."

Gibbs pushed aside his rage as he tried to figure out what to say to the terrified child sitting on the couch with him. "Noah, what JP did to you was wrong. It was bad. He should've never done that to you and now he's in jail where he can't ever hurt you again." Tears streamed down Noah's cheeks as he listened to Gibbs. "Do you remember when you and I talked about good touching and bad touching?"

Noah nodded his head as he frantically wiped at the tears on his cheeks. Gibbs grabbed a tissue from the box on the coffee table and handed it to him.

"I wasn't a'ppose a let JP touch my dick and I wasn't a'ppose a touch his," Noah said. He knew it was all his fault. It was always his fault. He was bad.

"No Noah, this wasn't your fault," Gibbs said. "JP is a grownup and you're just a little boy. He made you do something that you didn't want to do, something that little kids aren't supposed to do. He didn't give you a choice. JP is a bad guy. You didn't do anything wrong."

Gibbs scooted to the middle cushion on the couch, reached out and rested his hand on Noah's back. When the little boy didn't flinch or jerk away, Gibbs pulled him into his lap and hugged him. He was relieved when Noah melted into the embrace rather than tensing up again.

"Tony loves you so much, Noah," he continued. "He would never do anything to hurt you."

"And you-and you neither?" Noah asked through his tears.

"Me neither, Baby Boy," Gibbs said.

He rubbed Noah's back and kissed the top of his head. He waited for the little boy to calm before he continued. "Do you understand that everybody has private parts, Noah?"

"But I don't want to see any," Noah said.

"Okay," Gibbs said. "Tony and I will try to remember to lock the bathroom door from now on so we don't have any more accidents. Are you going to be okay?" Noah nodded and rested his head against Gibbs' chest. He just wanted to be held and feel safe and loved. "You did a good job getting yourself dressed," Gibbs praised.

"Boss?" Tony peeked his head around the corner, hoping his presence wasn't going to upset Noah.

"Yeah," Gibbs said, "come on in, Tony."

"Hey Little Buddy," Tony said sitting on the couch next to Gibbs where Noah could see him. "I'm really sorry about this morning. I should've locked the bathroom door. You know I'd never hurt you though, right?"

"Okay," Noah said.

Tony took a chance and reached out to tousle Noah's hair. He felt a little better when Noah didn't seem to mind. "I'm really sorry, Boss. I don't know how I could've been so stupid."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Tony," Gibbs said. "It could've happened to either one of us. We just need to try to remember to lock doors from now on."

"Trust me," Tony said, "I will."

"We're going out for breakfast," Gibbs decided. They were all already dressed and it was still early so they had plenty of time. "Noah, do you want to sit with Tony while I make your lunch?"

Noah nodded into Gibbs' polo, drying the rest of the moisture from his face in the process. Tony took Noah from Gibbs and settled the little boy in his lap facing him. Noah wrapped his arms around Tony's midsection and rested his head on the young agent's chest. Even though he just got up he was tired again. Tony enjoyed the cuddle time while Gibbs threw together a lunch for Noah. He had to make sure everything was still okay between them. The thought of scaring Noah away or losing the close relationship they share devastated Tony. He loved the little boy way too much to lose him.

After Gibbs was done making Noah's lunch, he returned to the living room to find Tony running his fingers through Noah's hair while Noah rested on his chest. Gibbs rubbed Noah's back as he leaned down and kissed the top of his head. Everything appeared to be okay again and despite the circumstances, Gibbs felt like he'd made progress. For the first time Noah had opened up to him about the abuse he'd suffered.

"Alright boys," Gibbs said, "are we ready to go get some breakfast?"

"I need Qwert," Noah said.

"Let's go get him," Gibbs said, thankful Noah remembered before they got too far away from the house. He rarely went anywhere without his turtle. Noah retrieved his stuffed animal then they all headed for the diner.

* * *

><p>Gibbs arrived at Joshua's foster home a little early and was surprised to find himself slightly nervous. He'd arranged for Jenny to pick Noah up from daycare that evening. Tony, Tim and Ziva were arranging prisoner transport and making sure everything was in order for the homicide trial that would start soon and Gibbs found himself sitting in front of a very nice looking house in a middle class neighborhood in McLean, Virginia. He'd already stopped by his house and changed clothes, grabbed his fishing gear and swapped the car for the truck.<p>

The plan for the afternoon was to take Joshua out and do something fun with him so they could get to know each other. He hoped the seven year old would enjoy the fishing trip but knew they could always head for the park or hit up one of the local tourist traps if the fishing trip turned out to be a bust. He got out of the truck and headed for the front door. After ringing the bell, a tall blonde haired woman, younger than Gibbs had expected, answered the door.

"Mrs. Findley?" he asked.

"Karen," she said offering her hand, "you must be Agent Gibbs." Gibbs smiled and nodded as he shook her hand. "Joshua is a little nervous but he's pretty excited to meet you. D'Arcy told him you're a federal agent and like a lot of boys his age he wants to be a cop when he grows up. Well, a cop, a firefighter or a baseball player," Karen said with chuckle.

"Joshua, are you coming? Agent Gibbs is waiting." She turned back to Gibbs and smiled. "He made you something. He went up to his room to get it."

"I'm not in a hurry," Gibbs said.

A little boy, small for seven years old but the spitting image of Noah slowly made his way down the stairs and stopped next to Karen. "Joshua, this is Agent Gibbs," Karen said wrapping her arm around the boy's shoulders.

"You can just call me Gibbs if you want or Jethro, whatever you feel comfortable with," Gibbs said.

"Nice to meet you," Joshua said.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Joshua," Gibbs said with a smile.

"I made this for you," he said holding out a very impressive car made out of popsicle sticks.

"He has been working on that nonstop since D'Arcy came over and talked to him," Karen said as Gibbs admired his gift. "He wanted to make sure he finished it for you."

"This is very impressive," Gibbs said. The car was designed and put together very well, especially if its creator was only seven.

"I had to use buttons for the wheels," Joshua explained, "'cause I couldn't get the popsicle sticks rounded enough. I glued some together and rounded them off and then tried to sand them but it was taking forever and it wasn't working that good. But I did attach the buttons to nails so the car would roll but it won't go very fast."

"Josh, this is," Gibbs almost found himself at a loss for words as he spun the wheels around gently, "you did a fantastic with this. Did you paint it too?"

Joshua nodded his head proudly. "I did all of it all by myself. I like making stuff."

"Joshua's out little architect," Karen said.

"I'm going to put this on my desk at work," Gibbs said.

"Really?" Joshua asked in amazement. "Wow."

"Thank you," Gibbs said. He was truly impressed with the workmanship and effort the child had put into the project.

"Why don't you grab your jacket just in case you get cold," Karen said, "and Agent Gibbs has my phone number if you need to call. You have fun."

"I will," Joshua said pulling his jacket out of the closet in the entryway.

Gibbs and Joshua headed out to the truck and after they were both buckled Gibbs started towards the lake. Joshua revealed he'd never been fishing before but was excited to try. Gibbs quickly figured out he'd had limited male influences in his life. His foster fathers were always busy at work and too tired when they got home to do anything with him and his real father had been nothing more than a rapist although Joshua didn't seem to know anything about that.

When they got to the lake there were a few other fishermen scattered around but plenty of room for them to find a quiet area to themselves. Gibbs handed Joshua the tackle box to carry and he grabbed the poles and live bait he'd picked up on the way over to Joshua's house. The two found an unoccupied dock and got all their things set up.

"Do you want put the worm on your hook or do you want me to?" Gibbs asked.

"Can I watch you put one on your hook and then decide?" Joshua asked.

"Sure," Gibbs said. He pulled a night crawler out and cut it in half then showed Joshua how to put it on the hook so it wouldn't fall off.

"He's still wiggling," Joshua said.

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "That'll attract the fish," he said. "They'll see him moving around and decide they want to eat him then when they try to bite him, they'll be hooked."

"Does the hook hurt the fish?" Joshua asked.

"Nope," Gibbs said shaking his head. "The inside of a fish's mouth is very hard and they don't have any nerve endings in there. They don't feel any pain when they're hooked."

"I don't want to hurt them," Joshua said. "Um, will you put the worm on my hook? I don't want you to think I'm a wimp but I—"

"It's perfectly okay, Josh," Gibbs said. "I don't mind baiting your hook and I know you're not a wimp. Hold my pole for a second then I'll show you how to cast."

Joshua relaxed in Gibbs' presence. Despite his gruff appearance, he found the special agent both caring and fun to be around. He was enjoying learning how to fish and hoping he could catch one. He really wanted to prove himself to Gibbs and felt that somehow by catching a fish he could do that. Gibbs put the other half of the night crawler on Joshua's hook then showed him how to cast it out into the water. Joshua watched closely and was thankful when Gibbs casted his line with him the first time.

While they fished, they talked about Joshua having to switch schools when he moved in with the Findley's and how difficult it had been to make new friends. He talked about his love of creating things and how much fun he used to have playing baseball with the kids in his old neighborhood. He made sure to tell Gibbs all his favorites, from foods and colors to cartoons and books. He found it easy to open up and talk to the man.

Gibbs had liked the kid the instant he'd learned how much work and effort he'd put into the popsicle stick car. He was impressed with his work ethic and dedication and that like grew as he spent the afternoon getting to know the boy. He got the impression that he'd escaped his horrible home life by focusing on his school work and escaping into the books he loved. D'Arcy had told him Joshua was smart but Gibbs got the impression he was at the top of his class. He had no qualms about bringing the boy into his home but he wanted to talk to Joshua about it before he dropped him off at his foster home.

The two had managed to catch a few fish but Gibbs sensed Joshua's uneasiness at killing them so they'd thrown them back as they caught them. Like Noah, Joshua seemed to have a heart filled with compassion despite the horrors his past held. Gibbs was impressed with Noah's ability to love and Joshua was turning out much the same way. He was sure the boys would get along fine together.

After they loaded up the truck, Gibbs called Karen and got permission to take Joshua out for dinner so they'd have a little time to talk about a more serious matter. He'd already told Jenny it may be late before he got home. She knew Noah's schedule and since the five year old already considered her his mother, Gibbs knew he'd have no problem with having her be the parent that night in his absence.

He took Joshua to Five Guys Burgers and Fries where they each ordered a cheeseburger and got an order of fries to share. Gibbs found a quiet booth off to the side, hoping they would be able to talk without too many distractions.

"Are you going to adopt me?" Joshua asked while Gibbs was trying to figure out how to start the conversation.

"Well," Gibbs said, "what would you think about that?"

Joshua thought for a minute and shrugged. He knew better than to get his hopes up. He knew most people only wanted little kids and not a kid with a messed up past like he had. It didn't seem to matter how nice or how smart he was, no one had ever seriously considered adopting him before. "What's your house like?" he asked curiously.

"It's plain and simple," Gibbs answered. "I don't have a lot of that newer technology type stuff but you'd always have everything you needed and that's not saying we couldn't get you some video games or something if you want."

"Karen got me a model airplane a few months ago," Joshua said. "I tried to put it together but I couldn't. I tried and tried. Could you help me?"

Gibbs smiled and relaxed even more. The child didn't want worldly possessions, he wanted love and someone to spend time with him and teach him and help him grow. There was no doubt in his mind that Joshua would fit right in. "That sounds like a fun project, Josh. I'd love to help you."

"Thanks!" Joshua said. "I still have all the pieces and the instructions. I just need somebody to help me." The little boy put a French fry into his mouth then looked at Gibbs. "Do you have a wife?" Gibbs smiled and shook his head. "A girlfriend?" Joshua asked. Gibbs nodded as he took a bite of his burger. "Is she nice?"

"She's very nice," Gibbs said wondering if he felt the same distrust towards women that Noah did at first.

"Does she like kids?" Joshua asked.

"She loves kids, Joshua," Gibbs said, "and I know she's going to love you. She'd never do anything to hurt you, Kiddo."

Joshua nodded. He wasn't too sure about it. His mother always chose her boyfriends over him and he often got ignored. He wondered if Gibbs would ignore him when his girlfriend was around. "Do you have any other kids?"

"I do," Gibbs said putting his burger down. "I'm in the process of adopting another little boy right now. His name is Noah, he's five years old."

Joshua was a little confused at that. He didn't think people ever adopted two kids at the same time so why was Gibbs hanging out with him? What was going on? "Are you maybe going to adopt me _and_ the other boy?" he asked.

"I would really like that," Gibbs said.

"Wow," Joshua said. He was starting to let himself get excited even though he knew he might regret it later. He couldn't help it.

"We need to talk about one more thing," Gibbs said as he ate a couple French fries. Joshua took a bite of his cheeseburger and looked back up at Gibbs. "Josh, did your mom ever talk to you about your dad?"

"No," Joshua said. "I asked her one time but she got real mad. Mad as I ever seen her before. Do you know my dad? I mean, my real dad?"

"I never met him but I know a little bit about him," Gibbs said.

Joshua took in Gibbs' facial expression and the tone of his voice. He wondered if Gibbs knew him from work. There were only two possibilities if he did. "Do you work with my dad?" he asked hopefully. Gibbs shook his head and Joshua's heart dropped. "Is my dad a bad guy?"

Gibbs looked at Joshua's defeated posture and his heart went out to the little boy. He didn't need to know the whole truth but Gibbs felt he was mature enough and deserved answers to some of his questions. "Yeah Josh, he was a bad guy. He died when he broke into a house several nights ago."

"Did you kill him?" Joshua asked.

"No," Gibbs said, "I wasn't there."

Joshua dropped his burger onto the table and his eyes fell to his lap. "I hate him," he said. "Why did he have to be a bad guy?"

Gibbs moved over to sit next to Josh in the booth and wrapped his arm around the little boy. "I don't know, Josh. It's not fair, is it?"

"Not fair at all," Josh said. "At least I know now."

Gibbs decided to go ahead and break the news about his brother. He would do whatever he needed to in order to help the seven year old cope with the news but he felt it was best to lay it all on the table. "Before your dad died he had another son, Joshua, with a different lady than your mom."

Josh looked up at Gibbs, putting the pieces together in his head. "I have a half brother somewhere? Who is he? Do you know him? Can I meet him? How old is he? Can he live with us too? I mean, if you decide to adopt me."

"Slow down," Gibbs said with a smile. He pushed Joshua's meal in front of him then pulled his own meal over in front of himself. "Do you remember we talked about Noah? The little boy that lives with me."

Joshua nodded, everything was starting to click in his head. "Noah's my brother? And he already gets to live with you? And you want me to live with you too?"

"Yes, Noah's your brother," Gibbs said. "Yes, he's already living with me and yes, we want you to come live with us too, if you want to."

Joshua smiled up at Gibbs. "I do want to. Are we going there tonight? Can we go right now?"

"I've got to talk to D'Arcy and we need to do a few things first but I'll tell her we want to get you moved as soon as possible, okay?"

"Is this for real?" Joshua asked quietly. "Are you going to give me back? It's okay if you do. I know a lot of people give kids back."

"I'm not going to give you back, Joshua," Gibbs said. "That's not how family works."

"Then I guess I never really had a family before," Joshua said.

"Well, you do now, Kiddo," Gibbs said with a smile. "Eat up; I don't want to send you back hungry."

* * *

><p>After a dinner of hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and tater tots, a long bath and a half an hour of Mickey Mouse cartoons, Noah finally started showing signs that he was getting tired. He traded his hot wheels cars for his baby sea turtle, retrieved his two-tone blue fleece blanket and climbed into Jenny's lap.<p>

"When Daddy is coming home?" he asked.

"He should be home soon, Sweetie," Jenny said. She smoothed his blonde hair away from his forehead and replaced it with a gentle kiss. Noah cuddled into her and Jenny covered him with his blanket then swayed him back and forth as she slowly rubbed her hand up and down his back. He was nearly asleep when Gibbs walked in the front door.

"Daddy," he sighed happily.

"Hi Baby Boy," Gibbs whispered taking him from Jenny. He cradled Noah to his chest and kissed the little boy's forehead before sitting down next to Jenny and leaning over to kiss her. It had saddened him to drop Joshua off but he knew it wouldn't be long before he could bring the seven year old home as well. The afternoon with him had gone even better than he'd expected it to.

Gibbs and Jenny sat quietly on the couch until Noah fell asleep in Gibbs' arms. Gibbs took him upstairs and tucked him into bed then returned to the living room with Jenny. He grabbed her coffee cup off the coffee table and finished it off for her and she just smiled at him.

"Would you like me to make you a cup?" she offered.

"No thanks," Gibbs said. He leaned back, wrapped his arm around Jenny and pulled her to him.

"You must've had a good afternoon," she said with a smile.

Gibbs told Jenny all about his time with Joshua, the boy's compassion, how smart he was, he showed off the car he'd been given, told her about their fishing trip and their dinner conversation. Jenny was thrilled with everything Gibbs had found out and was growing more and more excited to meet Joshua. Gibbs was determined to do whatever he had to do to get custody of Joshua even though he didn't think it would be too difficult based on the conversation he'd had with D'Arcy a few days prior.

"How's your work coming?" he asked seeing the stack of folders she'd put on his coffee table.

Jenny sighed exhaustedly and looked over at Gibbs. "It's not," she said. "Noah kept me busy all night. It was a lot of fun but I didn't get any work done."

"You're welcome to crash here for the night," Gibbs all but blurted out before he realized what he was saying. He'd had such a wonderful afternoon he probably would've agreed to just about anything.

Jenny's heart leapt at the idea and a smile spread across her face. She was getting ready to accept the offer when she saw Noah's hot wheels cars on the coffee table. She started thinking about him and what he'd been through. She thought about the progress he'd made and the struggles he still faced. "As much as I want to and boy do I want to," Jenny started, "I think it's better for Noah's sake if I go. He needs stability right now, not to be waking up one morning with me here and the next with me gone."

Gibbs pulled Jenny closer to his side and kissed her temple. "I almost feel like too many good things are happening to me at once, Jen," he said. "I think in the back of my mind, I'm waiting for the world to come crashing down again. I don't want to sacrifice any one of you, not Noah, not Joshua and not you. I don't want to move too fast and hurt one of you; I don't want to move too slow and lose one of you. What do I do? How do I make this work?"

Jenny rested one hand on Gibbs' thigh and weaved the fingers of her other hand between his fingers. "Jethro, I love you." Jenny froze then slowly tilted her head up towards Gibbs. Her eyes were wide as they locked onto his. "Uh, I did not mean to just blurt that out like that. Um, anyways, continuing on," she cringed, hoping she hadn't scared Gibbs away or ruined anything, "I'll wait as long as you feel we need to. You have the boys now, well, the boy, soon to be boys. They should come first. I don't want to rush things and end up making a mistake."

Gibbs listened to what Jenny was saying. The blurted out 'I love you' had been a little bit of a shock and he was relieved when she skimmed right over it. He hoped she wouldn't be upset if he did as well. "How about I get Joshua in here, let him get settled then we'll talk about us and I mean really talk, you know, about our future and stuff."

"That sounds good," Jenny said. "I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to meet Joshua either. He sounds like a great kid."

"He is," Gibbs said. "You're going to love him."

He helped Jenny collect her things, helped her with her jacket then kissed her goodnight before opening the door for her. Jenny turned back and smiled at him then got into her car, backed out of the driveway and disappeared into the night.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

Gibbs sat glaring at Sasha Perry, the prosecuting attorney that had arranged the plea deal with JP Lambert. He was not at all happy and not liking what he was hearing one bit but his efforts to intimidate the woman were failing, which only frustrated him more.

"You can sit there and glare at me all day," Sasha said harshly, "but there is nothing I can do based solely on your suspicions."

"I'm with Noah every day," Gibbs said. "I know him and I know Lambert did a lot more to him than what he admitted to when you agreed to that deal."

"Agent Gibbs, a few nightmares and refusing to have a tongue depressor shoved down his throat is purely circumstantial. We still don't have any evidence and Noah's still not talking." The harshness in her tone eased before she continued. She knew what she had to say next would only infuriate Gibbs more. "Even if Noah did tell us what happened there isn't much I can do without solid proof. We already made a deal with Lambert, it's already been signed. If we go back on our word even one time, it'll ruin our credibility. People won't trust us anymore."

"We're talking about criminals here," Gibbs said angrily, even though he understood what she was saying, "most of them don't even deserve deals."

"It's usually the lesser of two evils," Sasha shot back in her best hotshot lawyer tone, "it's either that or someone even worse is left to roam the streets and none of us wants that. The only way I can help you is if you bring me cold, hard evidence that proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Lambert deceived us when we worked out that plea deal."

Gibbs decided against continuing the argument. He didn't have any evidence and knew there was none to be found. He'd suspected before arriving at the Friday afternoon meeting that he wasn't going to like the result but despite his anger and frustration, he had a Plan B. He reached out for a brief, formal handshake before standing and exiting the attorney's office, leaving Sasha with a confused look on her face. Gibbs' reputation preceded him. She hadn't expected him to give up so easily.

A smile found its way onto Gibbs' face as he made his way to the parking lot. He decided he actually liked Plan B better anyways. It would be easier for everyone involved. Well, everyone except JP Lambert. He would definitely not be getting off easy.

* * *

><p>Despite the chaotic atmosphere in his house, Friday night brought peace to Gibbs. He'd located the jail Lambert was locked up in and was sure an anonymous tip would solve the problem of the lenient plea deal. A phone call come Monday morning would take care of a problem the legal system couldn't seem to. Child molesters never did well in jail once their secret was out.<p>

He had other things to focus on before that though. D'Arcy had pulled a few strings and bent a few rules and arranged for Gibbs to take custody of Joshua that Sunday. The fact that he already had custody of Joshua's brother helped speed up the transition. Gibbs was excited for his new arrival but there was work to be done before he came.

He'd invited his team over for dinner on Friday night and was hoping to recruit their help to get Kelly's old room transformed into one a seven year old boy would be comfortable in. He'd considered having Noah and Joshua share a room but decided there was no reason they each shouldn't have their own space. Transforming Kelly's room would be bittersweet but he knew it was time to let go and share his love with Joshua as well as Noah.

Tim was in the living room playing the Wii with Noah while Tony sat back and grumbled. He didn't like sharing any of the time he got to spend with Noah so he'd decided to spend the evening harassing Tim about being a dork and a nerd. Gibbs could hear everything that was going on and called Tony into the kitchen before the young agent's frustration made him say something hurtful that he couldn't take back.

"Tony, I know you love Noah but you've got to let him spend time with the others too," Gibbs said.

"But Boss, I want him to grow up to be a man's man," Tony complained, "you know playing sports and hitting on chicks, not consumed by video games like McNerd in there."

"Anthony," Gibbs warned.

Tony grumbled before shaking it off and seemingly getting it out of his system. "Tim's a great guy," he admitted. "We're just different."

Gibbs glanced over at Tony and nodded. "You guys are all different," he said. "That's part of what makes us an effective team. Noah's five years old. He's got a lot of learning to do, a lot of growing and exploring and we've got stand back and let him make his own decisions, even if that means we watch him make a mistake sometimes. If he chooses video games over football then it's going to be his decision and he needs to know that his Tony is going to love him no matter what."

Tony scrunched up his face at the thought. He'd already pictured himself at high school football games on Friday nights cheering his little brother on, waving giant foam fingers in the air and blowing air horns, anything so that his little quarterback, or whatever position Noah had decided to play, knew he was there cheering for him. He'd already decided he'd sacrifice his summers to help the boy train. He remembered many of the training programs he'd gone through and was confident he could tailor one to fit Noah perfectly.

"Hey," Gibbs said, noticing Tony had zoned out.

"I just hope he chooses sports," Tony confessed, stealing a piece of the pork Gibbs was shredding for their dinner. The meat had been in the slow cooker all day and half the night. It practically fell apart just by looking at it.

"Jethro," Jenny said poking her head in the kitchen, "everyone's here. Do you need help before Noah and I leave?" Gibbs was breaking the news about Noah's rapist father to the team and wanted to be able to answer their questions freely without causing more questions in his five year old child's mind so Noah was going out to do something special with his mommy.

"Will you mix some barbeque sauce into half of this?" Gibbs asked handing her a large bowl of the meat he'd been shredding. "The sauce is on the counter right there."

Jenny took the bowl, grabbed a spoon and got to work while Tony continued to pout. He liked it much better when he had Noah to himself or only had to compete with Gibbs for the little boy's attention. He didn't like sharing with everyone else. He was leaning against the counter, half watching Gibbs shred the meat and half staring blankly into space when he felt a little hand on his pant leg. He looked down and a smile crossed his face.

"Tater," he said happily. Noah smiled back at Tony as he was lifted into his brother's arms. "Did you have fun?"

Noah nodded his head and reached his hand towards the bowl Gibbs was shredding the meat in. Gibbs handed him a bite then continued what he was doing. "We played baseball and I getted a home run!" he said proudly.

"Baseball?" Tony asked perking up a bit. "You mean you weren't killing zombies in there?"

"He's five, Tony," Gibbs said. "You really think I'd let him play games like that. He has enough nightmares as it is."

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Tony said. "That's why you're the dad, Dad."

Gibbs smirked as he shook his head. "Why don't you go get everybody and you guys get washed up. This is about ready. Noah, you stay here, Buddy. Mommy's going to take you and Squirt to the movies tonight."

Jenny helped Gibbs put the meal on the table while the younger group washed up. There was potato salad and macaroni salad, as well as baked beans which Gibbs knew he would regret feeding everyone later but they were a good compliment to the pulled pork sandwiches. Gibbs walked Jenny and Noah to the door and gave them both a kiss goodbye before returning to the dining room. Tony, Ziva, Tim and Abby were already digging into the food, filling their plates with the dinner that had been making their mouths water ever since they'd walked through the front door.

The group was sitting around the table laughing and joking as they ate when Gibbs quieted them down so he could break the news. He hadn't told any of them about Joshua yet. All four of them sat quietly, waiting to find out the reason for their visit. They wouldn't have given it a second thought had Jenny and Noah not been sent away but that alone set off red flags in their heads.

"I had lunch with Fornell last week," Gibbs said. "A man we now know to be Noah's father was killed several days ago when he broke into a house in Massachusetts and tried to rape the woman that lived there."

"Is the woman okay?" Abby asked, concern coating her voice.

"She wasn't hurt," Gibbs said. "The FBI did manage to dig up some information on the rapist though."

"He's still raping people after all these years?" Tony interrupted. "He hasn't been caught yet?"

"He's actually been terrorizing the northeast for about ten years now," Gibbs said, "and in that time he's fathered five children." If he didn't have the group's attention before, he certainly had it then. "There are three girls that are living along the east coast in adoptive homes with families who don't know how they were conceived. We have Noah and there's another little boy in the foster care system."

"Where?" Abby asked getting ahead of Gibbs. "How old is he? How long has he been there? What happened to him?"

"Abs," Gibbs said gently, holding his hand up for her to slow down.

"His name it Joshua Tyson, he's seven years old and he lives in McLean, Virginia."

"We have to get him," Abby said as if it wasn't open for discussion. "I mean, he's Noah's half-brother. We can't just leave him out there with no family."

"Why is he in foster care anyways?" Tony asked around a mouth full of his sandwich.

"His mother went off the deep end," Gibbs said. "She couldn't deal with what happened and left Joshua to fend for himself."

"I agree with Abby," Ziva said speaking up for the first time. "I think we should at least meet the boy."

Tim, who had been sitting quietly up to that point nodded his head in agreement. "Me too," he said. "Maybe one of us could take him. If they're brothers, they should know each other."

"I'm glad you guys feel that way," Gibbs said. "I met with Joshua yesterday and he's a great kid. He'll be coming to live with Noah and I on Sunday."

Abby's fork fell to her plate. "This Sunday?" she asked. "That's really fast."

"D'Arcy worked some magic," Gibbs said. "I was hoping you guys might help me change Kelly's room—uh, the other upstairs bedroom into a space for Josh."

"Gibbs, are you sure?" Ziva asked. "Not about Josh I mean, about Kelly's room?"

"I'm sure," Gibbs said. "I've given it a lot of thought and it's okay."

The group spent the rest of dinner talking about Joshua and how to do his room. Gibbs told them of the boy's love for Captain America, baseball and working with his hands. Abby decided on a mural of an American flag covering one wall with a large image of Captain America standing in front of it. The rest of the walls would be painted a light blue color that would complement the colors in the mural but would still keep the room feeling light and open.

They decided that after dinner Gibbs and Tony would go to the furniture store, Abby would get all the paint supplies they'd need and Tim and Ziva would go shopping for bedding, a few decorations and anything else they might need. Unlike Noah who'd come to Gibbs with absolutely nothing, Joshua would have clothing and a few toys. They just had to get his room ready.

* * *

><p>Noah was having a hard time focusing on the movie. He and Jenny had gone to the free movie one of the local theaters put on once a month because there were no other kid movies playing in town. The fact that it was free and the only kid appropriate movie meant the theater was packed with children, many of which had no concept of being respectful of the other movie watchers. The constant chatter was distracting, the tall people sitting in front of Noah and Jenny made it difficult for either to see the screen and not even the popcorn was up to par that evening. It was stale and had grown cold before they'd even made it to their seats. The only enjoyable part of the evening was the Pepsi the two were sharing.<p>

When the toddler a few rows in front of them started having a temper tantrum, Noah decided he'd had enough. "I want to go home," he pleaded, not making any effort to be quiet.

"Are you sure?" Jenny asked. She was fed up as well but was willing to stay if Noah wanted to.

Noah looked up at Jenny and nodded. Jenny lifted the little boy into her arms feeling terrible about how their evening had turned out. She squeezed past the others sitting in their row and they quickly made their escape, happy to be in the quiet lobby.

"I'm sorry, Baby," she said standing Noah next to her and grabbing his hand. "That wasn't very much fun, was it?"

"A people are loud and I can't hear the movie," Noah said.

"Well, how about you and I go find something really fun to do," Jenny suggested, determined not to make the evening a total waste. "What would you like to do?"

"Uh," Noah thought really hard, trying to come up with something. He decided he'd be happier if Jenny picked something she wanted to do that way he'd know she was having fun. "I want you to pick."

"I picked the movie, Sweetie Pie," Jenny said, "and that turned out to be no fun at all. There must be something you want to do."

Noah climbed into Jenny's SUV and buckled his seatbelt while Jenny stood by in case he needed help. "I don't know," he sighed.

When it became clear the decision was stressing him out, Jenny took over. "How about you and I go to McDonalds," she said. "We can get a snack then you can play in the PlayPlace for awhile."

Noah perked up immediately and a smile crossed his face. "Can I have ice cream with hot chocolate on it?" he asked hopefully.

"A chocolate sundae sounds delicious," Jenny said with a smile as she got into the car. She wouldn't let some noisy kids and lousy popcorn ruin their evening.

* * *

><p>Tony, Ziva, Tim and Abby all decided to spend the night at Gibbs' house on Friday night. There was much to be done and little time to do it. They wanted to get an early start on Saturday and staying at Gibbs' house would allow them to sleep a little longer but in all honesty any excuse to spend time together at their surrogate father's house was a good one.<p>

Tony slept crammed into Noah's bed with him and Scout as requested by the little one. Tim slept across the hall in the bedroom that would soon be Joshua's and Ziva and Abby slept in Gibbs' room. Jenny headed home knowing it would just be better that way. Part of her didn't trust herself to behave being that close to Gibbs all night. She would return bright and early the next morning with donuts.

Gibbs had arranged for Ducky to take Noah to the zoo on Saturday along with Matty and his friend from down the block, Hanna. He didn't want his little boy to be lost in the shuffle of scrambling to get the room done, didn't want him breathing in paint fumes and didn't want him to feel ignored or left out while everyone focused on doing something for Joshua. Noah would have his own special day with his friends and his beloved Uncle Ducky exploring wild savannahs filled with lions and cheetahs, swamps full of alligators and crocodiles, rainforests full of monkeys and pandas and no doubt listening to countless tales of Ducky's travels in his youth. The only thing Gibbs required in return was a lot of pictures.

Gibbs was wishing he had a copy of the reveille they played each morning when he was in boot camp to wake his troops. He started in his bedroom with the girls, kissing each of their foreheads and rubbing their backs until they started to stir.

"Rise and shine," he said.

Ziva obeyed immediately while Abby pulled a pillow over head. Gibbs smiled and headed into the room Tim was staying in. He patted Tim's shoulder, waking the agent with a start.

"I'm up," Tim said, sitting immediately and rubbing his eyes.

Gibbs headed out of Tim's room to answer the doorbell. He assumed it was Jenny or Ducky and he had to go undo the chain.

"Morning Jethro," Jenny greeted, almost leaning in and kissing him before she remember Ducky was standing right next to her.

"Jethro," Ducky greeted warmly.

"I'm in the middle of waking the troops," Gibbs said. "You guys make yourselves at home; we'll be down in a minute."

Jenny took the donuts into the dining room, followed by Ducky while Gibbs headed back upstairs and into Noah's room. He paused for a moment to take in the sight of his boys. Scout was curled up between Tony's legs at the foot of the bed, Noah had his little feet pressed to the wall and his head on Tony's chest and Tony's arm was draped across the little boy's midsection while his other arm hung off the side of the bed. He wondered if he should get them bunk beds or a double bed but they seemed to like sleeping like that.

He moved over to the side of the bed and rested his hand on Tony's forehead. The young man didn't budge.

"Tony," he said softly. He still got no response. "Tony," he repeated as he ran his hand over Tony's hair. Gibbs reached down and rested his other hand on Noah's head. He wondered if the boys had stayed up talking late into the night. "Noah, it's time to wake up."

Noah's eyes opened slowly and he looked up at Gibbs before rolling over and hiding his face in Tony's chest. He wasn't ready to get up either.

"Ducky's downstairs," Gibbs said. "He's pretty excited about taking you to the zoo."

Noah's head popped up and the little boy was suddenly alert. "A zoo? With the aminals?"

"With the animals," Gibbs corrected. He really hoped Noah wouldn't have to go to speech therapy. The kid already had enough struggles. He hoped his speech problems would end without the need for professional help.

Noah scurried over Tony's chest and stood eagerly on the floor in front of Gibbs. Tony groaned and rolled over in the bed, burying his head under the pillow. "I is ready," Noah said.

Gibbs laughed as he playfully pinched Noah's cheek. "You need to get dressed first, goofy, and I want you to wear long pants today. It's a little too chilly for shorts."

"Okay," Noah said making a beeline for his dresser.

"And Noah," Gibbs said, "there are a lot of people here this morning. If the bathroom door is closed, make sure you knock before you go in or come find me and we'll make sure we find you an empty bathroom."

"I will come find you, Daddy," Noah said. He remembered what happened last time Tony was there and he didn't want a repeat.

Gibbs rubbed his hand over Noah's hair and smiled down at him. He felt like he was really starting to get a handle on things. Noah was no longer wetting the bed, he knew Noah didn't have nightmares when Tony spent the night with him, he was learning what upset the boy and what made him happy. They were making progress. He turned his attention back to Tony and shook his head.

"Tony, come on, everybody else is up," Gibbs said as he ran his hand roughly over Tony's back. "Jenny brought donuts." Tony still made no effort to move. "Do you want me to have Noah come over here and jump on the bed?"

"No Boss," Tony mumbled. "I'm tired. Just a little while longer."

Gibbs sighed then got an idea. Tony wouldn't be happy but he'd given him ample opportunity to get up on his own. He lifted Noah into his arms and whispered into his ear. "Can you find Tony's tickle button and help me wake him up?" He put his finger in front of his mouth so Noah would know they were being sneaky.

Noah giggled quietly and nodded. Gibbs sat the little boy on Tony's butt and Noah went to work poking Tony's back and sides, searching for his ticklish spots. Tony started squirming and rolled over onto his back, trying to escape. Noah didn't miss a beat. He climbed back on top of Tony and tickled him harder and harder until Tony was laughing so much he could hardly breathe. Gibbs lifted Noah off of Tony and kissed his little boy's cheek. "Good boy," he whispered.

"Not nice, Boss," Tony said, "not nice."

"Get a move on, DiNozzo," Gibbs said before heading downstairs.

While Ducky sat at the dining room table reading the Saturday morning newspaper, Gibbs took Jenny's hand and led her to the corner of the kitchen out of view of the dining room. The two spoke no words as they wrapped themselves in each other's arms and shared a passionate kiss. Gibbs smiled down at Jenny and brushed his fingers across her cheek, all the while holding her gaze. He pressed his lips to hers once more before letting her go and heading for the coffee pot. He knew it wouldn't be long before there was a stampede in his kitchen.

Jenny smiled as she pulled herself together and slowed her breathing. She found herself enjoying the sneaking around, keeping their 'relationship' a secret from all for the time being. She could explain away nights at his house as being there for Noah. The boy needed a mother and he'd chosen her. Tony babysat when she and Gibbs went on dates but he was keeping his mouth shut about their business and none of the others seemed to have a clue what was going on with their bosses. She accepted the cup of coffee Gibbs held out to her then followed him into the dining room where Ducky was still wrapped up in whatever story he was reading. It wasn't long before Abby and Ziva made it into the dining room followed by the boys.

* * *

><p>Noah held onto Hanna and Matty's hands as they walked from the lion exhibit over to see the tigers. Ducky walked with them explaining why tigers had stripes, where they lived and what they ate. Whether or not the kids found it interesting he didn't seem to mind. They listened and asked questions as they strolled along.<p>

So far their day had been filled with fun and adventure. They'd seen many animals as well as a few very interesting people. They'd watched a show of animals performing various tricks, snacked on giant soft pretzels and spent a lot of time in the petting zoo. They'd taken a break long enough to eat the picnic lunch they'd brought along and play on the playground for a little while giving Ducky the chance to call and check in with Gibbs.

Both Matty and Noah had a little crush on Hanna and both were being perfect gentlemen. Matty treated Hanna much the same as his father treated his mother, escorting her around, opening doors and being attentive of her needs while Noah followed his friend's lead. Ducky took pictures of the boys behaving like perfect gentlemen, all the while kicking himself for not bringing a video camera along. At five years old, the two were very charming.

Back at the house, all the painting was finished by early afternoon. The group had worked together and finished quickly. Fans and the open bedroom window quickened the drying process while the group took a break to eat lunch. Afterwards furniture was brought in and put together, new curtains were hung, the bed was made and the room was set perfectly for Joshua's arrival the following day.

Ducky dropped Matty off at his house when they were done at the zoo then continued on to Gibbs' house. By the time he arrived with Noah and Hanna, everyone except Jenny had already headed home. Everybody said goodbye to Ducky then Gibbs, Jenny and Noah walked Hanna home. The adults smiled and laughed to themselves as Noah and Hanna held hands and chatted happily all the way to her house. Once they made it to the little girl's house, Noah asked her permission then gave her a hug before saying goodbye.

Gibbs put Noah on his shoulders and they headed back for the house. The little boy told his daddy and mommy all about his day at the zoo and all the fun they'd had. They spent the evening relaxing together before Gibbs and Jenny made plans for the following morning and she left so Gibbs could put Noah to bed.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

Sunday morning brought all kinds of excitement to Gibbs' house. Jenny arrived early with coffee for her and Gibbs, a couple bottles of chocolate milk for Noah and Joshua along with some donut holes for breakfast. Gibbs and Noah were awake and sitting on the couch watching cartoons. D'Arcy was scheduled to arrive shortly with Josh.

"Good morning Mommy," Gibbs said with a wink.

"Good morning Daddy," Jenny said with a little laugh before leaning down and kissing him. "Good morning Noah," she said kissing him as well.

"Good morning Mommy," Noah said. "Josha is comin' today."

"Listen, Noah," Gibbs said, "Josh-u-wa."

"Josh-u-wa," Noah repeated carefully.

"Atta boy," Gibbs praised. "You're getting there. Do you want some breakfast? Mommy brought donuts."

"Yummy," Noah said. He climbed off Gibbs' lap and Jenny put a few donut holes on a plate at the coffee table for him. She sat down next to Gibbs and leaned into him as he put his arm around her. They didn't have to wait long before a car pulled into Gibbs' driveway and D'Arcy and Joshua got out. Gibbs stood from the couch and went outside to meet them.

"Morning guys," Gibbs said. "How are we doing?"

"We're excited," D'Arcy answered looking down at Josh, "but a little nervous."

"That's understandable," Gibbs said reaching out and gently squeezing Josh's shoulder.

"Is my brother here?" Josh asked almost in a whisper.

"Yeah, come on in and I'll introduce you," Gibbs said holding out his hand. Josh looked up at the house then down at Gibbs' hand. He took a deep breath then put his hand in Gibbs' and the group walked into the house. They went into the living room where Noah was watching curiously and Jenny was sitting on the couch smiling.

"Guys, this is Joshua. Joshua that's Jenny and this is Noah," Gibbs said resting a hand on Noah's head.

"Hi," Josh said with a slight wave as he tried to smile. Although he was excited and thrilled to have a new family, his nerves were making him feel like he might throw up.

"Hi Joshua," Jenny said, "it's so nice to meet you."

"You too," Joshua mumbled.

"Him is my brother?" Noah asked looking at the blonde haired, blue eyed child who was a slightly taller version of himself.

"He, Noah," Gibbs gently stressed, "he is your brother."

"He is my brother," Noah repeated.

Gibbs smiled and nodded. "You want a donut hole, Josh?"

"No thanks," Josh said. "I had cereal before we came here and I'm still kind of full."

"Guess what," Noah said, "yesterday we made a room for you. It got painted and now there's toys and books and… and there's a guy on your wall!" He couldn't remember Captain America's name but he really liked the picture Abby had made, just not as much as the surfer on his wall. "I didn't getted to help 'cause I was at a zoo but Tony and Timmy and Abby and Ziva and Daddy and Mommy all maked it for you."

"Who are they?" Josh asked.

"They is our brothers and sisters," Noah answered around a mouth full of donut.

"They're the people I work with, Josh," Gibbs said. "They come over sometimes and hang out with us."

"They is really fun," Noah said.

"Cool," Josh said starting to settle in and feel more at ease.

"Daddy, can I show Josh his room?" Noah asked.

"Sure Buddy," Gibbs answered.

D'Arcy watched with a wide smile as the two boys hurried up the stairs. "I'll leave you guys to enjoy your day," she said. "Call if you need anything and I mean anything."

Gibbs thanked D'Arcy and walked her out to her car. He grabbed Josh's things from her trunk then waved goodbye before going back inside Jenny. The boys had made it back downstairs with several of Noah's hot wheels cars and were driving them around the living room. Gibbs and Jenny watched the boys laugh and play as if they'd known each other their whole lives. They were impressed and relieved with how quickly the boys took to each other.

After the boys played for a little while Josh decided he wanted to unpack his belongings. Gibbs carried his things upstairs with both boys following close behind him. He left them in Josh's room, laughing and giggling, and returned downstairs with Jenny.

"Josh seems really happy," Jenny said, "and you're right, he is a great kid."

"I think Noah likes him," Gibbs said.

"I think you're right," Jenny said wrapping her arms around Gibbs' waist and pulling him into a hug. Gibbs surrounded her with his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Why don't you go upstairs with the boys and I'll get lunch started."

"You don't have to make us lunch, Jen," Gibbs said. "You're not the maid or the housekeeper or anything like that."

"No, I'm not," Jenny said. "I'm your friend and I want to help." She brushed her fingers gently over his cheek as she smiled up at him then turned him around and playfully kicked his butt. "Now get moving."

Gibbs smiled back at her before heading upstairs. He and Noah helped Josh unpack his things. The little boy didn't have much, a couple books, a few toys, the model airplane he'd already asked Gibbs to help him put together and his clothing. There were a few other toys waiting for him in his room that the team had left as welcome home presents. Gibbs had made plans to bring Joshua to work on Monday afternoon so they could meet him. He wanted Sunday to be family time and an opportunity for Josh to get settled in but he also knew he wouldn't be able to hold the team off for very long.

After Josh's clothes were tucked away in his dresser and his books and toys all had a place, Gibbs left the boys upstairs to play with their remote control cars while he went downstairs to check on Jenny. She was just pulling a tray of chicken nuggets and one of French fries out of the oven.

"I decided to give them a break on vegetables today," she said with a smile.

"I'm sure they'll appreciate that," Gibbs said stealing a French fry from the tray.

Jenny playfully smacked his hand but it was too late, the fry was already in his mouth and he was laughing. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go set the table," she said with a smile.

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her and pulled her swiftly to him making Jenny squeal. When he started tickling her sides she laughed as she swatted him, trying to make him stop. He was in a very good mood having both boys together with him and feeling a bit playful.

"Did you find Mommy's tickle button?" Noah asked.

Gibbs quickly let go of Jenny and turned around to see both boys standing there. "Uh, why don't you guys go get washed up," he said. "Lunch is almost ready."

The boys snickered as they raced off to the bathroom and Gibbs turned back to Jenny. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a slow, longing kiss. He felt like his life was perfect. There would be a piece missing when Jenny went home that night but he hoped to fix that soon. It was getting harder and harder to wait on taking the next step with her but he knew he was doing the right thing for the boys as well as his relationship with her. He loved her as a whole and waiting to be physically intimate with her would only make it that much better when the time came.

They broke their kiss before the boys returned and Gibbs went to work setting the table while Jenny put food on plates. She added ketchup to Noah's plate, knowing the five year old would put ketchup on everything if they'd let him. She and Gibbs decided on barbeque sauce and Josh chose ranch dressing to dip his chicken nuggets in. Their meal was filled with joking and laughter. Josh seemed to feel right at home and was settling in easily.

The afternoon was spent riding bikes, playing with the dog, tossing the baseball back and forth, shooting hoops and continuing to get to know one another. Jenny disappeared after dinner time, leaving Gibbs, Noah and Joshua to their movie night. After an exciting and active day they were all ready to relax. Gibbs found himself wishing he didn't have to go to work and Josh didn't have to go to school the following day but he wasn't going to get in the habit of neglecting his responsibilities. There would be plenty of time to spend together.

By the time the movie ended and the popcorn was all gone Noah was fast asleep on Gibbs' lap and drooling down the front his shirt and Josh was leaning against Gibbs, yawning.

"Getting tired?" Gibbs asked quietly. Josh nodded as he rubbed his eyes. "Okay," Gibbs said, "why don't you head upstairs and take your bath or shower, whichever you prefer."

"Noah can take a bath first," Josh said. "I don't want to take his turn."

"Don't worry about that, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "I'm going to give Noah a bath in my bathroom then we'll read a bedtime story together." Josh yawned as he nodded his head. "Hey Josh," Gibbs said wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders, "I'm glad you're here."

Josh looked up at Gibbs and smiled. "Me too. Thanks for adopting me."

Gibbs kissed the top of his head then watched as he headed upstairs. He lifted Noah into his arms and rubbed his back to wake him as he carried him up the stairs. Noah looked up at Gibbs then around his bedroom.

"Where Josh is?" he asked as Gibbs stood him on the floor. "Did him go home?"

"He, Noah, did he go home," Gibbs corrected. He felt bad for correcting the boy's speech all the time but Noah didn't seem to mind and slowly but surely he was starting to catch on.

"Did he go home?" Noah repeated.

"He is home," Gibbs answered. "He lives here with us now, remember?"

"Where he is?" Noah asked as he grabbed Gibbs' hand and followed him into his bedroom.

"He's taking a bath," Gibbs said, "just like you're getting ready to do."

"Then it's bed time?" Noah asked. Gibbs nodded as he turned the water in the tub on. "Does Josh has to go to bed too?" Noah asked as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Yep," Gibbs said. "After bath time we'll read a bedtime story then it'll be time for both of you to go to sleep."

"How come you isn't helping Josh take a bath?" Noah asked.

"Josh is a little bit older than you, Buddy," Gibbs answered. "He doesn't need help anymore."

"I don't need help either," Noah said.

Gibbs smiled as he brushed his fingers through Noah's hair. "What if I help you wash your hair then you can do the rest by yourself?"

"Okay," Noah agreed.

Part of Gibbs was sad about losing bath time with Noah. It was the little boy's favorite time of day and he loved sailing the boats with Noah, playing in the bubbles and listening to him laugh but he also knew Noah was growing up and should be able to take a bath with a little less help than he normally provided. He had to let go and let Noah start learning to do things by himself.

After Gibbs washed Noah's hair he sat back and watched his little man wash himself off. A thought struck Noah as he was busy cleaning himself. If Gibbs was in there with him, that meant Josh was taking a bath all by himself. He wanted to do the same.

"You can go now, Daddy," Noah said. "I will do it all by myself."

With Noah doing a good job, Gibbs decided to give him a little privacy. "Okay," he said, "but I am going to leave this door cracked and I want to hear you talking so I know you're okay in here. I'll be right in my room."

"I will be okay," Noah said confidently.

Gibbs smiled and rested his hand on Noah's head before leaving him alone. Once Noah was finished washing himself up, he had an animated conversation with his rubber duck before he moved on to singing the songs he'd learned at daycare. Gibbs relaxed in his bed, listening to his youngest with a smile on his face the whole time.

When Josh was finished with his shower he made his way into Gibbs' room and at Gibbs' invitation he crawled into bed next to him and cuddled while they listened to Noah together. The more Noah came out of his shell and the more comfortable he got, the more entertaining Gibbs found him.

Gibbs let the little boy play for a while longer while enjoyed cuddling quietly with Josh. In Josh's eyes Gibbs was the father he'd never had. The day they'd spent getting to know each other, Gibbs teaching him how to fish, promising to help him with his model, welcoming him into his home and spending the entire day with him and his newfound brother was thrilling for Josh. His foster fathers rarely had the time or patience for him or any of the other kids he lived with but with Gibbs it seemed he'd found what he'd been searching for. Gibbs' thumb running over his shoulder while he rested his head on the agent's chest and listened to the soothing, steady beat of his heart was nearly putting him to sleep but Josh resisted and refused to give in. He wasn't ready to say goodnight yet.

"I'm going to get Noah out of the tub, Bud," Gibbs said softly as he patted Josh's arm. Josh nodded and rolled over so Gibbs could get up. Gibbs leaned over and kissed his head before standing and walking into the bathroom where Noah was singing at the top of his lungs.

"It's time to get out, Kiddo," he said.

"Already?" Noah asked.

"You've been in here a long time, Little Man," Gibbs said. "The water's turning cold and you're getting all wrinkly. You look like a little old man."

"Oh," Noah said, "okay. I will come out then."

Gibbs laughed to himself as he shook his head. "Thank you."

"But I can do it all by myself, Daddy," Noah said.

Gibbs waited patiently while Noah got himself out of the bathtub, let the water out and removed his toys. The little boy did his best to get himself wrapped up in the bath towel but it ended up acting more like a cape which made Noah think he needed to fly back and forth between the bathroom and the bedroom. Gibbs tossed Noah's dirty clothes into the hamper then caught up with Noah as he was flying around Josh who was still sitting on the bed. He flew Noah down to his own room and waited patiently while he got his pajamas on.

Once both boys were ready for bed, Gibbs cuddled them on his bed to read a bedtime story. Joshua couldn't resist sleep any longer and fell asleep halfway through the story. Noah calmed down once again as Gibbs read but wasn't quite ready to go to sleep. After the story was over Gibbs carried Josh down the hall to his own room and put him to bed while Noah followed close behind. Once Josh was tucked in Gibbs lifted Noah up and carried him across the hall to his own room.

"What do you think of your brother?" he asked as he tucked Noah in.

"Him is… he is nice," Noah said. Gibbs leaned down and brushed Noah's hair away from his forehead and gave him a kiss. "Daddy, do you like Josh more than me now?"

Gibbs stretched out on the bed next to Noah and cuddled him to his side. "I love both of you, Noah," he said. "I'm never going to stop loving you and I'll never like Josh more. You're very special to me."

Noah yawned as he reached over and rested his hand on Gibbs' forearm. "Will you stay here till I fall asleep?" he asked.

"I sure will," Gibbs said. He kissed the side of Noah's head and held him close, until the little boy's breathing evened out and he was sure he was asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

Gibbs finished tucking his t-shirt in just before heading into Joshua's room to get him up on Monday morning. He was feeling the pressure with a second child to get up and ready, pack a lunch for and get to school. He wasn't sure how long it would take the seven year old to get ready so he gave himself a little extra time. He smiled at the sight of Josh sleeping sprawled out on the bed as he moved the little boy's arm out of the way and sat down next to him.

"Joshua," he said softly. He ran his hand over Josh's head then gently patted his chest. "Josh, it's time to wake up, Buddy."

Josh opened his eyes and looked up at Gibbs then around his room. It was his first time waking up in his new home to the sound of his new father's voice.

"Good morning Kiddo," Gibbs said with a smile. "It's time to get up for school."

"Okay," Josh said quietly. "How am I gonna get there?"

"I'm going to drive you," Gibbs said, "then, when school gets out, I'll be back to pick you up. Are you excited to go back to your old school and see your old friends?" Gibbs and D'Arcy had arranged for Josh to transfer back to the school he'd gone to before he moved into his foster home. He had friends there and it was closer to Gibbs' house than the school in McLean, Virginia. The seven year old had a good reputation there so the school welcomed him back with open arms.

"I'm a little nervous but excited," Josh said. "I just hope my friends remember me."

"Trust me, Bud, they'll remember you," Gibbs said as he stood. He ruffled Josh's messy hair and smiled. "I'm going to get Noah up. Holler if you need me."

Noah didn't wake up quite as easily as Joshua. He practically slept through Gibbs dressing him and barely managed to use the bathroom before falling asleep on Gibbs' shoulder as he was carried down to the kitchen. Gibbs made Josh a bowl of fruit loops for breakfast and put it in front of him then patted Noah's back to wake him again.

"Noah, what do want for breakfast?"

"I not hungry," Noah mumbled.

"What's wrong, Kiddo?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothing," Noah muttered into Gibbs' neck.

"If nothing's wrong can you eat some breakfast for me?" Gibbs asked grabbing a granola bar out of the cupboard. "I bet Josh would like some company at the table."

"I wanna stay home with you, Daddy," Noah said looking at Gibbs and puffing his lower lip out into a pout.

"I have to go to work, Son," Gibbs said. "I can't stay home today but we'll be together tonight, just like always."

Noah sighed deeply as Gibbs sat him down at the table next to Josh. It was always hard for him to get back into the swing of things on Monday morning. Gibbs opened the granola bar and handed it to Noah then poured both boys a glass of orange juice. He ruffled Noah's hair as the little boy sat and stared blankly at his breakfast.

"Eat Buddy," Gibbs called out as he returned to the kitchen to make the boys' lunches.

Josh was too nervous about school to feel like talking and Noah was too tired and disappointed about having to go to daycare. Josh stared off into space as he ate and Noah rested his head on the table and closed his eyes instead of eating. Neither of them spoke during breakfast.

Gibbs finished making lunches, made sure Josh had everything he needed for school then lifted Noah out of his seat and grabbed his granola bar. He wanted to get Josh to school with a little time to spare so he could make sure everything was in order. He got both boys in the car then headed out.

"You guys are awfully quiet back there," Gibbs said.

"Noah's sleeping," Josh said. "I didn't want to wake him up."

"Apparently nothing's going to wake him up this morning," Gibbs said as he readjusted his rearview mirror so he could see his five year old.

He parked the car in front of Josh's school, got Noah out of the backseat and walked in with Josh. They found his classroom and Josh was surprised to learn the same teacher he'd had in first grade would be his second grade teacher. She was so happy to see him she gave him a hug.

"I saw your name popped up on my roster," she said. "I couldn't believe it. It's wonderful to have you back, Sweetie."

"Thank you Ms. Ramsey," Josh said.

Gibbs introduced himself and gave the woman one of his business cards then turned his attention to Joshua.

"I won't kiss you in front of your friends," he said wrapping his arm around Josh and pulling him into his side, "but I will hug you and tell you I love you. I'll be back when school lets out. Have a good day, Josh."

"Thanks," Josh said with a smile. He felt happy. He felt like he fit in already unlike his other school where he was bullied for being smart.

"Josh?" Another little boy entered and practically tackled Josh with a hug. "Are you back for real? Like forever, for real? Please say yes!"

"Yeah Jake," Josh said happily, "I'm back for real."

"Wait till Carter finds out your back and Danny!" Jake said excitedly. "We gotta play baseball at recess!"

Their teacher smiled over at Gibbs. "I'm going to have my hands full with them."

"Good luck," Gibbs said with a smile as he turned to leave.

Noah watched Joshua and his friends over Gibbs' shoulder. He listened to the excited and happy boys as Gibbs carried him back down the hall. Seeing Joshua so happy at school made him feel even worse about his own failed school experience. He hadn't had any friends. His teacher hated him, even the principal was sick of him. He wondered what was wrong with him that made all the other kids hate him. As Gibbs pushed the front door open and stepped outside, Noah cuddled farther into him and closed his eyes once again.

"You okay, Buddy?" Gibbs asked.

Noah nodded his head and smiled when Gibbs kissed his temple. At least somebody loved him.

* * *

><p>Gibbs arrived at Josh's school shortly before the final bell rang. He waited patiently, enjoying being out in the fresh air and sunshine and having a little time to himself. When the bell rang a flood of children rushed out the front doors. Gibbs spotted Josh in the crowd coming out with a group of boys and even one little girl. They all exchanged some form of secret handshake they'd created then Josh hurried to Gibbs' car.<p>

"Hey Kiddo," Gibbs said. "Did you have a good day?"

"The best," Josh said happily as he buckled his seatbelt. "I got to see all my old friends and we played baseball at recess and I have the nicest teacher in the whole school. Thanks for letting me come back here. It's so much better than that other school."

"Not a problem," Gibbs said as he drove. "I'm glad you're happy."

He stopped at the McDonalds down the street from the school and got Josh some French fries and a small coke to snack on then continued towards the Navy Yard. "So, you got a girlfriend?" Gibbs asked with a grin.

"No," Josh giggled. "That girl's name is Natalie and she's super good at sports, especially baseball and football. She's not like those other girls who only wanna play with girly stuff and don't want to get dirty so we let her play with us. She's really cool."

"That's very nice of you guys," Gibbs said.

Josh shrugged and looked out the window. "Just 'cause she's a girl doesn't mean she can't play sports," he said. "Everybody thinks 'cause I'm smart, I'm a nerd and stink at sports but it's not true."

Gibbs smiled proudly as he reached around and patted Josh's leg. He decided both boys would be a good study in the nature versus nurture debate. Both had experienced nothing but torment for the majority of their lives but both had an amazing capacity to love.

"Are we going to meet all those other people right now?" Josh asked around a mouth full of French fries.

"Yep," Gibbs said. "I'm going to take you back to work for a little while and let you meet everybody then we'll see if we can find somewhere quiet for you to get started on your homework that way you can play when you get home."

"I'm kind of nervous," Josh admitted.

"That's okay," Gibbs said. "Once you meet them you'll feel right at home. Trust me, you'll fit right in."

Josh put his last couple fries in his mouth as Gibbs parked the car. He grabbed his backpack and the two walked into the building together. Abby was sitting at Gibbs' desk and Tony, Ziva and Tim were all sitting at their desks waiting. As soon as Gibbs and Josh stepped out of the elevator, Abby was the first one to make it to them.

"You must be Josh," she said. "I'm Abby. I'm so excited to meet you!" She resisted the urge to throw her arms around him and pull him into a hug.

"Hi," Josh said looking from Abby to the group of agents that was standing behind her.

"Hey man," Tony said holding out his fist. ""I'm Tony," he said as Josh bumped fists with him.

"Tim," Tim said offering his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Ziva. Nice to meet you, Joshua."

"Nice to meet you too," Josh said.

"Alright, let's go sit down, guys," Gibbs said herding his group to the bullpen.

Josh stayed close to Gibbs while he answered the team's questions about everything from his day at school to how he liked his new room. Gibbs wrapped his arm around the seven year old and watched as his anxiety wore off and he got comfortable with the group. He gave them a little while to get to know each other then put his team back to work and sent Josh down to the lab with Abby to work on his homework.

* * *

><p>Josh worked diligently on his homework, completing his spelling words quickly, finishing his math with little effort and doing his history crossword puzzle with a little help from Abby. After he was done with his homework, Abby showed him around her lab. Josh got to take a peek in the ballistics lab, look at a few things under the microscope, examine a DNA match and try to make sense of a compound Major Mass Spec had analyzed. His favorite was the microscope. He examined everything from specs of dirt and dust to bugs and a few reference slides Abby gave him. Abby watched him with a smile on her face as she continued working.<p>

"Do you know where Noah is?" Josh asked when he got done playing with the microscope.

"He's in daycare," Abby answered.

"Does Noah have a mom?" Josh asked hesitantly.

"Um, you mean besides Jenny?" Abby asked. Josh nodded. "Well, he used to." She wasn't sure what or how much to tell Josh about Christina and what had happened with her.

"Did she die?" Josh asked. "Is she in a hospital like my mom?" Abby just stared at the boy, not saying anything. "Jail? Is she a bad guy like my dad was?"

"She uh, she died," Abby said. "She was um, she just, yeah, she-she died."

Josh sensed Abby's hesitation and decided to drop the subject. He was curious but realized he wasn't going to get anymore information out of her.

"Do you want to check out some hair samples with me?" Abby asked hoping to change the subject. Josh nodded as he put his hand in hers and let her lead him into her office.

* * *

><p>Gibbs decided to pick Noah up from daycare before heading to Abby's lab to get Josh. He hadn't seen his little boy since he'd dropped him off that morning and Noah had been unusually quiet. He wasn't the most talkative child but he usually communicated in something other than grunts or moans, even on Monday mornings. Casey was standing in the playroom watching the children when he arrived.<p>

"Hey," Gibbs said, "how'd he do today?"

"He did okay," Casey said hesitantly. "He's been real quiet. I don't know if it's just the Monday blues or if he's maybe getting sick or if something's bothering him. He sat on my lap for awhile this morning, didn't even want to play."

"I got custody of his brother yesterday," Gibbs said. "I'm wondering if that has something to do with it."

"Josh?" Casey said with a smile. "Noah did tell me all about him. He seemed genuinely excited. I don't think that's the problem."

"Hmm," Gibbs said. "Maybe he's just tired."

"Hi Daddy," Noah said gloomily.

"Hi Baby Boy," Gibbs said picking up the little boy and kissing his cheek. "How are you? How was your day?" Noah shrugged and laid his head on Gibbs' shoulder. "You've been awfully quiet today. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know," Noah said. "I mean, no. What is we eating for dinner?"

Gibbs decided to let Noah change the subject and try to get more out of him later. "I was thinking we could have some hash browns and eggs and sausage and maybe some toast and some fresh fruit."

"Breakfast things?" Noah asked.

"Yeah," Gibbs said. "How does that sound?"

"Good," Noah said. "Where Josh is?"

"He's in Abby's lab, working on his homework," Gibbs answered. "We're going to go get him then go home."

"Will you carry me?" Noah asked.

"Sure Bud," Gibbs said kissing his head again.

Casey rubbed Noah's back and said goodbye then Gibbs headed for Noah's cubby and packed all his things in his backpack while Noah rested his head on his shoulder. They headed for Abby's lab and picked Joshua up then Gibbs took the boys home. He let them watch TV while he got dinner started. In a matter of minutes Noah was at his side in the kitchen holding tightly to the hammer loop on his jeans.

"What's up, Kiddo?" Gibbs asked remaining upbeat despite his growing concern. Noah had never been so clingy, something was definitely wrong.

"Will you hold me, Daddy?" Noah asked lifting his arms up to Gibbs.

"I'm working on dinner right now, Noah," Gibbs said. "Can I hold you after dinner?"

"Never mind," Noah said turning to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey, come here, Little Man," Gibbs said wiping his hands on the towel.

"No, I will just lay with Scout so you can make a dinner," Noah said.

"Uh-uh," Gibbs said snatching Noah up before he could make his escape. "Not till you talk to me. What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Noah insisted.

Gibbs carried Noah into the downstairs bathroom, stood him on the floor and retrieved the thermometer from the cupboard. "What that is? Don't poke me. I will be good! I will leave you alone! I promise!"

"I'm not going to poke you, Buddy," Gibbs said. "I just want to take your temperature. It won't hurt at all. It just goes under your armpit. Can you pull your arm out of your shirt sleeve for me?"

Noah pulled his shirt off and dropped it to the bathroom floor then let Gibbs pull him into his lap. Gibbs sat on the toilet and held Noah's arm still until the thermometer beeped. According to the thermometer Noah didn't have a fever but the little boy wasn't giving Gibbs any hints about what was bothering him.

"Can you help me make dinner?" Gibbs asked hoping that spending time with him might cheer Noah up or encourage him to open up.

"I don't know how," Noah said pulling his shirt over his head.

"I'll show you," Gibbs said. "You've got your shirt on backwards."

Noah narrowed his eyes and scrunched up his face in frustration. "'tupid shirt!" he huffed angrily as he yanked it off and threw it to the floor. He couldn't even get his shirt on the right way. He felt so dumb.

"Relax Bud," Gibbs said. "It's okay. Sometimes I put my shirt on the wrong way."

Noah gave Gibbs a look that told the agent he didn't believe him. "I am never wearing it again. I'm never wearing any shirts. I hate 'em!"

Gibbs looked into Noah's angry blue eyes for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I won't make you put your shirt on tonight but you're going to have to wear one tomorrow when you go to school."

"I don't want to go to school never again neither," Noah said.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked.

"A'cause it's stupid," Noah said.

"Did something happen at school today?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Noah said. "I didn't want to go today neither. From now on I is just gonna stay home forever and ever and ever."

"Well I can't let stay home by yourself, Buddy," Gibbs said. "Then some people would come take you away from me because I was being a bad dad but I can try to help you feel better about going to school if you tell me what's bothering you."

"No, I don't to be taked away!" Noah said, his anger and frustration quickly turning to pleading.

"I'm not going to let anybody take you away," Gibbs said, "but I'm not going to let you stay home by yourself either."

Noah stood looking dejectedly up at Gibbs. Gibbs picked him up and hugged him close. "Can you help me cook supper?" he asked.

"I will just mess it up," Noah pouted.

"No you won't," Gibbs said. "I'll help you."

Gibbs carried Noah into the kitchen and stood him on a chair between him and the counter. He let Noah help him peel the potatoes for the hash browns then scooted the chair over in front of the sink. As they were washing the potatoes the door bell rang. Gibbs left Noah at the sink to keep washing while he answered the door. He rubbed his hand over Josh's hair on his way by.

"Hey Jen," he greeted. "Just in the neighborhood?"

"I wanted to stop by and say hi," Jenny said. "I didn't get to see the boys today."

Gibbs moved out of the way and let her in. "Would you like to stay for dinner? We're having breakfast stuff."

"I'd love to," Jenny said.

While Gibbs headed back to the kitchen, Jenny stopped in the living room to talk to Josh.

"Mommy's here," Gibbs told Noah.

"Why?" Noah asked. "'Cause I be'd bad?"

"No," Gibbs said, "and you weren't bad. You're doing just fine. Mommy missed you so she came by to see you."

"Oh," Noah said.

"You did a really good job washing these potatoes," Gibbs encouraged. "Thank you."

"Welcome," Noah said.

"There's my Noah," Jenny said excitedly as she walked into the kitchen. "Where's your shirt, Baby?"

"A shirt is dumb," Noah told her matter-of-factly.

Gibbs gave Jenny a half smile behind Noah's back. "Everything's either dumb or stupid tonight," he told her as she pulled Noah into a hug.

"Are you having a bad day, Honey?" Jenny asked picking him up and sitting down with him in her lap.

Noah shook his head and watched Gibbs start cutting the potatoes. Jenny tried to get Noah to tell her what was bothering him but she got the same mumbled one word answers Gibbs had been getting. After Gibbs got the hash browns and sausage going he started in on the toast and fruit. Jenny persuaded Noah to help her set the table then called Josh in to help as well. She didn't want him to feel left out.

Jenny poured drinks while Josh sorted out silverware and Noah set plates out. The five year old didn't even make it to the table before the top plate slipped off the pile and crashed into the floor. Noah let out an angry groan and Jenny grabbed the other three plates before he dropped those as well.

"I didn't mean to break it," Noah said squatting to pick up his mess.

Gibbs grabbed his hand before he could pick up the glass. "It's okay, Noah. Everybody has accidents."

"I can't never do nothing right," Noah said as tears slipped onto his face.

"You're just having a bad day, Kiddo," Gibbs said picking Noah up and hugging him. "Tomorrow will be better, I promise."

Jenny swept up the broken plate then took Noah from Gibbs so he could get dinner off the stove before it burned. The little boy was exhausted and on edge, both adults just wished they knew why. After a lot of persuading, Noah finally ate a few bites of his dinner while he sat in Gibbs' lap.

"Wanna play something with me after dinner, Noah?" Josh asked hopefully.

"Okay," Noah said.

Gibbs reached over and patted Josh's back and ruffled Noah's hair with his other hand. The boys finished eating then disappeared upstairs leaving Gibbs and Jenny to clean up.

"I don't know what's going on with Noah today," Gibbs said as they cleared the table. "He didn't want to get out of bed this morning, he's been clingy and quiet. His teacher said he was excited about Josh but other than that he was quiet and reserved there too. I took his temperature and he's not sick."

"Maybe he's tired," Jenny said. "He might've had nightmares last night."

"That's a good point," Gibbs said. "I just wish he would talk to me."

"All his life he's had to bottle everything up inside him," Jenny said. "It's going to take time."

"I hate feeling so helpless," Gibbs said.

Jenny rubbed her hands up and down his back as Gibbs started on the dishes. Gibbs enjoyed the affection and having her close. He was beginning to wonder if bringing Joshua into the house was a bad idea or if he should have waited longer. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what was going on with Noah. Having Jenny there provided some comfort and reassurance.

"Do you think I rushed moving Josh in?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Jenny thought for a moment as she continued rubbing his back. "I don't think so," she said. "I mean, they've been playing well together and you said that Noah's teacher said he was excited about Josh. I really just think he's having an off day or maybe he's coming down with something. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Try not to worry too much."

"Okay," Gibbs said smiling as Jenny hugged him from behind, "I'll try."

Jenny helped Gibbs get the kitchen cleaned up then said goodbye to the boys and headed out hoping Noah would be better after a good night of sleep. Gibbs let the boys play for a little while before sending them off to get their baths. He washed Noah's hair then stood to leave.

"Daddy?" Noah called.

"What Bud?"

"I think that maybe I do want you to stay with me at bath time," Noah said.

Gibbs smiled as he sat back down beside the bathtub. He couldn't have been happier to have been asked to stay. Noah washed himself off then he sailed boats around with Gibbs for a little while. He didn't play for very long before he told Gibbs he was ready to get out. Gibbs pulled the plug in the tub, got Noah out and wrapped him in a towel. He headed down the hall towards Noah's room, not even bothering to get the toys out of the bathtub.

Gibbs left Noah in his room then poked his head into Josh's room to tell him he'd be in after he put Noah to bed. When he got back to Noah's room he found the little boy already in his pajamas. Noah lifted his arms up to Gibbs and Gibbs picked him up and cuddled with him in his bed. He read him a couple stories then waited until Noah fell asleep in his arms before laying him in his bed and leaving him to sleep.

"Hey Kiddo," Gibbs said entering Josh's room. "Can I sit down?" Josh smiled at Gibbs as he scooted over in his bed. "What are you reading?"

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid," Josh answered.

"Will you read to me?" Gibbs asked making himself comfortable. He knew how much Josh loved books and wanted to share that with him.

"Really?" Josh asked happily surprised.

When Gibbs nodded Josh leaned into him and started reading. The story wasn't of much interest to Gibbs but the time alone bonding with Josh was invaluable. Josh read to Gibbs for awhile then Gibbs read to Josh before tucking him into bed, kissing his forehead and leaving him to sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

Gibbs woke on Tuesday morning, showered, dressed, woke Josh and then headed for Noah's room. He was anxious to wake the little boy up and find out if he was in a better mood. He walked into Noah's room and saw that he'd pushed all his blankets off his bed. He sat down next to him and when he ran his hand through Noah's hair and immediately noticed how warm the little boy felt.

"Noah, wake up for me, Buddy," Gibbs said softly.

Noah yawned and scratched at his tummy in the middle of stretching. "I wanna stay home with you, Daddy," he whined.

"I think you might have a little fever," Gibbs said resting the back of his hand on Noah's forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I not sick," Noah said reaching up and holding his head in his hands, "only my head hurts a little bit but not a lot."

As Noah raised his arms above his head the bottom of his shirt rose up slightly. Gibbs could see a couple red bumps so he lifted the little boy's shirt up all the way. "It looks like you have chickenpox, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "Mommy was right, you were getting sick. I'm never going to hear the end of this," he joked.

"A chicken spots?" Noah asked with a little giggle. That was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

Gibbs laughed and ruffled Noah's hair before standing. "Sit tight for a minute," he said, "and try not to scratch. I'll be right back." He headed across the hall and knocked on Josh's bedroom door.

"Come in," Josh said.

"Hey Bud, do you know what chickenpox are?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Josh said nodding his head. "I got those when I was five and it stunk. I was at school and the teacher tried to send me home but Mom said she wasn't gonna come and get me so I had to stay in the nurse's office but she was real nice. We played tic-tac-toe and hangman and read books and she even bought me hot lunch from the cafeteria. Why did you want to know?"

"I think Noah's got 'em now but if you've already had them you should be good," Gibbs explained. "Come on downstairs when you're done getting dressed."

"Okay," Josh said.

Gibbs stepped back into the hall, pulled his cell phone out and called Ducky. The ME agreed to stop by and have a look before work, Gibbs thanked him then went back into Noah's room.

"Daddy, my chicken spots are itchy," Noah said as he rubbed instead of scratching at the red bumps.

"Chicken-pox, Noah," Gibbs said.

"Chicken spocks," Noah tried.

"Chicken," Gibbs said.

"Chicken," Noah repeated.

"Pox," Gibbs said.

"Pox," Noah mimicked.

"Chicken-pox."

"Chick-chickens-sp-sp… chickenspox. Chicken-Chickenpox!" Noah finally managed.

"Good job," Gibbs praised.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Did a chickens bite me when I was sleeping?" Noah asked.

"No Buddy," Gibbs said. "Chickenpox is a rash."

"Oh," Noah said. "Daddy, could I stay home with you today?"

"Yep," Gibbs answered, "I think you and I are going to stay home today."

Noah's face lit up as Gibbs lifted him into his arms and kissed his temple. He was thrilled, he got to spend the whole day at home with his dad. "Can Josh stay home with us too?"

"Not today," Gibbs answered as he carried Noah to the downstairs bathroom. "Josh has to go to school but he'll be here this afternoon." He retrieved the thermometer out of the bathroom then sat down with Noah in the living room. "We're going to take your temperature again but you don't have to take your shirt off. Let's just pull one arm out."

"My shirt is itchy," Noah said around a yawn.

"Okay," Gibbs said, "let's take your shirt off then." He helped Noah get his shirt off then took his temperature. The thermometer beeped and read 100.8 degrees. "You've got a little fever. Are you hungry?"

"No," Noah said as he stretched out on the couch.

"Will you try to eat a piece of toast for me?" Gibbs asked.

"Okay," Noah said looking sleepily up at Gibbs, "but can I just lay here for one minute?"

"Sure Bud," Gibbs said. "I'll turn some cartoons on for you."

Gibbs turned the TV on for Noah then headed upstairs and retrieved Squirt and a sheet out of the linen closet. He knew that would be more comfortable on Noah's skin than the fabric of the couch. After getting Noah settled he headed into the kitchen to start making breakfast and a lunch for Josh.

"Is Noah staying home today?" Josh asked once he made it to the kitchen.

"Yep," Gibbs said. "I can't send him to school with chickenpox."

"I could stay home with him so he doesn't have to be alone," Josh offered. He really wanted to go to school and see his friends but he also knew how lonely and boring being home all alone was.

"That's really nice of you, Josh," Gibbs said, "but I can't leave you guys here by yourselves. You go to school and I'll take care of Noah, okay?"

Josh nodded his head. "I just didn't want him to be all alone."

"I know, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "I won't leave him here alone. Now, what would you like for breakfast?"

"Got any poptarts?" Josh asked.

"No I don't," Gibbs answered, "but I'll get you some the next time I go to the store. Anything else sound good?"

"Uh, a scrambled egg?" Josh asked.

"Alright," Gibbs said. "Do you want anything to go with it? I'm making Noah some toast. Do you want a piece of toast?"

"Yeah," Josh said. "Got any jelly?"

"I have grape and strawberry."

"Strawberry please," Josh said.

"Do you want to go watch cartoons with Noah while I make your breakfast?" Gibbs asked.

Josh smiled and hurried off to the living room with his younger brother. Noah was starting to doze on the couch so Josh sat in the chair next to the couch. Gibbs made a piece of toast for Noah and a scrambled egg and toast for Josh then delivered their meals to them. Ducky arrived just as the boys started eating.

"My, my, my," Ducky said taking one look at Noah's chest. "You do have chickenpox, don't you, young man?"

"I is very itchy," Noah said.

"I bet you are," Ducky said. "Did Daddy take your temperature?"

"100.8," Gibbs said. "He said he has a little headache and he's itchy."

"Do you have any children's fever reducer?" Ducky asked. Gibbs shook his head. The bottle he bought for Noah was still over at Jenny's from when they'd stayed there. "Anti-itch lotion?" Ducky asked.

Gibbs shook his head again. "Guess I need to run to the store," he said.

"I'll go," Ducky said. "You stay here with Noah. I'll drop Joshua off at school on my way."

"You don't have to run my errands, Duck," Gibbs said. "I just wanted to make sure it was chickenpox and nothing more serious."

"Yes, it is chickenpox and they are highly contagious," Ducky said. "He shouldn't be around other people. You never know when you'll run into a pregnant woman or someone with a compromised immune system. You need to call his daycare and let them know too. Noah would've been contagious for the past day or two."

"Right," Gibbs said, "hadn't even thought about that."

Ducky sat with the boys in the living room while Gibbs finished packing Joshua's lunch. After he was finished eating, Josh took his plate into the kitchen.

"Alright Buddy," Gibbs said as he folded the brown paper bag down, "Ducky's going to take you to school and I'll be there to pick you up. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Josh said.

Gibbs wrapped his arms around the little boy and kissed the top of his head. "You have a good day, Kiddo. I'll see you this afternoon."

Josh took his lunch and smiled back at Gibbs before following Ducky out to his car. After Josh left Gibbs headed into the living room to check on Noah. The little boy was sitting right where he'd left him, sleeping with his head resting on the coffee table next to his half eaten piece of toast. Gibbs laid him down on the couch and tucked his turtle under his arm then headed upstairs to change out of his work clothes into something more comfortable.

Gibbs decided to get some housework done while he waited for Ducky and Noah slept. He got the kitchen cleaned up, threw in a load of laundry and straightened up the living room. It wasn't long before Ducky returned with Children's Tylenol, calamine lotion and enough oatmeal to feed them for a year.

"Oatmeal, Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"An oatmeal bath will help with the itching," Ducky explained. "I recommend twice a day at least."

"That should be easy enough," Gibbs said. "He loves bath time."

Ducky went through the steps of making an oatmeal bath with Gibbs then they woke Noah and gave him a dose of Tylenol. Once Noah was taken care of, Ducky headed for work. Noah laid back down to continue watching TV so Gibbs put a call in to the daycare to let them know what was going on, Jenny to update her and Tony to tell him he was in charge until he got back. He had full faith in his senior field agent and no qualms about leaving him in charge for a few days.

After he made his phone calls he switched the laundry. Noah found him in the laundry room, scratching at his chest and back.

"Daddy, I is scratchy and it hurts," he said.

"Dr. Ducky told me how to give you a special bath that will help you not to itch so much," Gibbs said. "How does that sound?"

"A bath inna daytime?" Noah asked with his little head cocked to the side.

"Yeah," Gibbs said. "You like bath time."

"Can I play with my boats?" Noah asked.

"Of course," Gibbs said.

Noah watched everything Gibbs did from turning the oatmeal into powder to mixing it into the tub. He'd never taken a bath like that before. He was very curious about what it was going to be like. Gibbs helped get in the tub so he didn't slip then let him play until the water turned cold. The soothing oatmeal along with the tub full of toys took Noah's mind off the itching. He splashed around happily for nearly an hour before it was time to get out. As Gibbs got him out, Noah's stomach started growling.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. "You didn't eat much of your breakfast."

Noah shrugged his shoulders as he tried to get the snap on his jeans fastened.

"How about I make us some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch," Gibbs said. "Do you think you can eat a little bit of that for me?"

"I will try," Noah said. "My tummy telled me it wants some food so I think that I can eat that."

"Would you like something else?" Gibbs asked. "Do you like tomato soup?"

Noah looked shyly up at Gibbs and shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea if he liked tomato soup or not, he'd never had it before.

"We'll try a little bit," Gibbs said, "and if you don't like it, I'll make you something else."

Noah smiled and nodded as Gibbs picked him up and hugged him. Gibbs was constantly surprised with the depravity Noah had lived with during the first years of his life. He didn't know of any child who hadn't been offered tomato soup by five years of age.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I help you make a soup and uh, that other thing that you said?" Noah asked.

"Grilled cheese? Sure Bud," Gibbs said. "I'd love for you to help me."

Gibbs and Noah made lunch then they ate together. Noah enjoyed his meal but only managed to get a few swallows of soup down and about half his sandwich. His stomach didn't really hurt but he didn't feel very hungry. After they ate, Gibbs laid down on the couch with Noah on his chest. It didn't take long before both of them were asleep.

Gibbs woke with plenty of time to get to Josh's school to pick him up. He woke Noah up and put some calamine lotion on his itchy spots then put a shirt and his shoes on him.

"Daddy, can Scout come on a ride in a car with us?" Noah asked.

"I don't see a problem with that," Gibbs said. They were just going to Josh's school and weren't getting out of the car.

Gibbs got Noah, himself and the dog ready then they headed for Josh's school. Josh came out with the same group of friends he'd been with the previous day and headed for Gibbs' car after saying goodbye. Scout licked Josh's face while he tried to get his seatbelt on. Josh laughed as the dog covered his face with kisses.

"Hey Bud, how was school?" Gibbs asked.

"Good," Josh said. "I got an A+ on my spelling. I was the only one who got a perfect score."

"Good job," Gibbs praised. "I'm proud of you."

"You are?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, very proud, Josh," Gibbs replied.

"Wow," Josh said smiling from ear to ear. He never got compliments from his mom for his good grades. His mom could've cared less. To have someone that cared was a foreign concept for him.

"You got any homework?" Gibbs asked.

"A little bit," Josh answered. "Do you think I could play for a little while before I do it though? I promise I'll do it."

"Sure Kiddo," Gibbs answered.

When they got home Gibbs cut up some apples and gave it to the boys with some peanut butter for a snack. After they'd eaten the three of them spent the afternoon playing together. Racing cars all over the house, sailing rocket ships through the air, finger painting, coloring and playing board games kept Noah's focus on things other than scratching the red bumps spread all over his body.

As it got later in the day Gibbs left the boys to continue playing while he searched for something for dinner. As soon as he stepped into the kitchen the doorbell rang. He wasn't surprised in the least to find Jenny standing there.

"I took off work a little early," she said as Gibbs helped her with her jacket. "How's Noah doing?"

"I think he's doing okay," Gibbs said. "The Tylenol brought his fever down and oatmeal baths, calamine lotion and distracting him seems to be taking his mind off of scratching for the time being."

"I told you he was probably getting sick and that's why he was having such a bad day yesterday," Jenny said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Gibbs said with a smile, "I should've listened to you. I'm just trying to do my best with Noah. He's come a long way but he's so fragile. I was worried I rushed Joshua in here."

"You're doing just fine," Jenny encouraged. "I think Josh has been good for him, they've been good for each other."

As soon as Gibbs and Jenny made it into the kitchen the doorbell rang again. Gibbs was beginning to miss the days of people just walking right in but ever since Christina had broken in he was keeping the chain on the door to keep his boys safe. He headed back out to the entryway and opened the door to find Tony standing there.

"Hey Boss," Tony said. "Is it okay if I hang out with Noah for a little while?"

"Come on in," Gibbs said.

"Tony?" Gibbs and Tony could hear Noah's voice from the kitchen. Within seconds the little boy was racing into Tony's waiting arms. "I have the chicken spots!" he said.

"Chicken spots?" Tony asked with a laugh. "I like that. From now on chickenpox will forever be known as chicken spots. How are you doing? I missed you today. I don't like it when you're sick."

"I got to stay home with Daddy all day," Noah said happily. "You could stay home with us tomorrow."

"If I stay home and Daddy stays home, who's going to catch the bad guys?" Tony asked.

"Well," Noah thought real hard, "I think that the bad guys should just stop it so we can play all day long."

"I wish it worked like that, Tater," Tony said, "but you know what? I'm here now so let's play."

Tony took Noah and Josh out to the backyard to play with Scout. They played fetch with the dog, tossed the baseball around and kicked the soccer ball back and forth. Gibbs and Jenny stood at the window and watched.

"They're so happy," Jenny said as she ran her hand up and down Gibbs' back. "You're doing a great job with them, Jethro."

"It's been a long time since I've been a dad," Gibbs said. "I forgot about all the worry that comes along with it."

"Do you regret taking them?" Jenny asked.

"Not for a minute," Gibbs said. "I just want them to be happy and loved. I want to protect them from all the hurt in the world but I know I can't."

"You're right, you can't," Jenny said, "but you can make sure that they know that you'll always be there for them. That's a while lot more than anyone else has ever done for them."

"When did you get to be so smart?" Gibbs asked with a wink.

"I have always been smart," Jenny insisted as she playfully pinched his side.

Gibbs smirked as he grabbed her wrist and squirmed away. "You better watch it," Gibbs mock threatened. "You know what they say about payback."

"You wouldn't dream of it," Jenny said with a sly look on her face.

"You're right," Gibbs said, "I wouldn't because I'm nicer than you."

Jenny's mouth fell open in an attempt to keep herself from laughing. "You are not!" she said. She loved joking around with Gibbs. She enjoyed spending time with him out of the office where they could laugh and play and relax.

Gibbs tickled her sides and when she really started squirming he pulled her into a loving hug and kissed her head. Jenny tilted her head up and they shared a passionate kiss as Gibbs moved them out from in front of the window. They didn't need to put a show on for anybody.

"When it comes to parenting, you're a natural," Jenny said getting serious again. "Just relax and trust your gut, just like you do at work."

"Thank you," Gibbs said with a smile.

"Anything for you," Jenny said. "Now, I'm thinking Stromboli for dinner. What do you think?"

Gibbs let out a little laugh. "I'm thinking I have no idea how to make that."

"Come on," Jenny said, "we'll do it together."

Gibbs and Jenny worked on dinner together. They spent half the time playing and poking at each other but managed to get a meal made and put on the table despite all the goofing off. Tony helped the boys get washed up then they all sat down together to eat. Noah started getting uncomfortable and fussy during dinner so afterwards Jenny took him upstairs for another oatmeal bath while Gibbs and Tony cleaned up the kitchen and Josh started working on his homework.

"Boss?" Tony asked as he started washing the dishes.

"Hmm?"

"I was just thinking, I could help you watch Noah while he's out sick," Tony offered. "I really don't mind."

Gibbs gave Tony a knowing smile as he dried the dishes Tony was washing. Tony had visited often in the past but ever since Noah had come into their lives, he'd become a regular fixture around the house. Gibbs had definitely noticed a change in his senior field agent. "Tony, I don't mind if you want to come over after work but right now I really need you to fill in as team leader."

"Got it, Boss," Tony said. He was torn. He loved being team leader in Gibbs' absence but he also wanted to be with Noah and comfort him and take care of him. Gibbs had made the decision for him though. He needed him and Tony wasn't going to let him down.

Gibbs appreciated Tony's offer and he knew how big of a deal it was for Tony to even consider taking care of a sick kid but he was the dad and it was his responsibility to take care of Noah. He wasn't going to be another name on the long list of people who'd failed the little boy. Noah had gone from being loved by none to loved by many. There was a number of people who would drop everything for him but the fact of the matter was both Gibbs and Tony couldn't be off work at the same time. That would leave the team two men down and that was one man too many. Tony could come over when he wasn't working but Gibbs would be the primary caregiver.

After the dishes were done, Tony decided it was time to head out. He considered spending the night but he didn't want to wake Noah when he had to get up and get ready for work. He headed upstairs and found Jenny and Noah in Noah's room getting his pajamas on.

"It's time for me to go home, Tater," Tony said.

"No, you can't leave," Noah whined.

"I have to go to work tomorrow," Tony said lifting the little boy in his arms. "I promise to come see you again tomorrow when I get out of work. Okay?"

"Okay," Noah said.

"I hope your chicken spots get better," Tony said grinning. He kissed the top of Noah's head then handed him back to Jenny. "Goodnight Noah."

"Night night," Noah said waving as Tony left his room.

Tony headed down to the living room where Josh was packing up his finished homework and sat down on the couch. "You done already, man?"

"Yeah," Josh said. "I only had one math worksheet tonight."

"Cool," Tony said. "I gotta get going. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Goodnight Tony," Josh said.

"Night Josh," Tony said. He kissed Josh's head then said goodnight to Gibbs and headed out.

Gibbs sat down on the couch with Josh on one side of him and Jenny on the other with Noah in her lap. They all watched _Toy Story _together then Jenny put Noah to bed and Gibbs laid down to read with Josh for a little while. Once Noah was asleep Jenny said goodnight to Gibbs and Josh and headed home.

Noah was up and down quite a bit during the night which kept Gibbs up. He finally ended up lying down with Noah so he could soothe him back to sleep whenever he woke. After practically covering the little boy in calamine lotion, he finally managed to get some rest.

* * *

><p>Gibbs was out of work with Noah for the rest of that week and three days the following week. Ducky had been making frequent visits to check on the little boy and finally gave him the all clear to return to daycare on Thursday. Despite not feeling the best, Gibbs and Noah had enjoyed spending the days together and had even more fun when Josh got home from school.<p>

Jenny and Tony showed up just about every night to help with dinner, bath and bedtime but in reality they just wanted to spend time together. One night Tony brought over a stack of get well cards that Noah's friends at daycare had made him. Noah was both shocked and thrilled and proudly displayed all the cards in his bedroom.

After Ducky told Noah he could go back to school on Wednesday night the little boy got very excited. He'd had fun spending time with his dad but he missed Matty and his other friends and teachers. After bath time, Gibbs tucked Noah in with freshly washed bedding. He'd spent the day cleaning and sanitizing since Noah was finally feeling better. After story time with Noah he headed across the hall and tucked Josh in then sat down to read with him.

After both boys were asleep Gibbs headed downstairs for some coffee. A cup of coffee that close to bedtime might seem unconventional for some but not for Gibbs. For him it almost had a calming effect, it cleared his mind and helped him think. He relaxed on the couch coffee in one hand, snack in the other and prepared his mind to return to work the following day. He would miss spending the days with the boys but at the same time he was ready to get back into the swing of things and happy that Noah was finally feeling better.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

It had been nearly four weeks since Joshua had moved in with Gibbs and Noah. For the most part the boys were getting along great minus the occasional sibling rivalry. The team had come to know and love Joshua as much as they did Noah. Tony and Noah still shared a special, unbreakable bond and Joshua had grown close to Abby and Tim. He spent most afternoons in the lab doing science experiments and picking up interesting facts that related to whatever case they were working as well as doing his homework.

Learning seemed to come naturally for Josh. Gibbs checked his homework each night when they got home and there were rarely incorrect answers. Noah was making improvements with his school work as well. He wasn't having as hard of a time concentrating, he was paying more attention to detail which helped with his lessons and his speech was starting to improve. There was no longer a fear that he had dyslexia and he was learning new skills each day.

The things he was learning in daycare were more on his level than the kindergarten work he'd struggled so much with. Gibbs was practicing with him at home; working on writing his name, practicing using scissors, counting, shapes and colors as well as learning the days of the week and the months. Noah was still behind where he should've been but he was working hard and there was no doubt in Gibbs' mind that he would catch up.

Jenny was becoming more of a fixture as well. She'd come over and cook meals on occasion, enjoy bath time with Noah who'd decided he liked having Mommy and Daddy's help and attention after all, they'd watch movies, play games and go on walks around the neighborhood. After cuddling up with the boys and reading bedtime stories, she and Gibbs would curl up together on the couch to enjoy some quiet time before she headed home. With the addition of Joshua to the family their alone time had been limited to evenings after the boys had gone to bed but it was Friday night and they had a date.

Tony arrived at Gibbs' house a little early and flopped down on the couch between the boys. Noah was instantly in his lap as Josh leaned against him. "What are we watching?" Tony asked before leaning down and kissing the top of Noah's head.

"Milo and Otis," Josh answered.

"It's about a little doggy and a kitty," Noah added.

"I haven't seen this movie in forever," Tony said. He ruffled Josh's hair then kissed the top of his head as well.

Gibbs made his way down the stairs in a comfortable button up shirt and pair of blue jeans and headed into the living room. "Alright boys, bedtime's at 2100 hours. I left some money for pizza on the dining room table. I have my cell phone if you need me. You guys have fun." He leaned down and kissed both Noah and Josh goodbye.

"What, no kiss for me, Boss?" Tony teased. Gibbs smirked as he gently slapped the back of Tony's head. "Thanks Dad," Tony said with a smile. He was loved. Both boys giggled at the strange affectionate gesture. They both loved their goofy big brother and knew their dad did too. Gibbs tapped Tony's chin then headed out.

Tony watched as Gibbs backed out of his driveway then jumped up. "I have a surprise for you guys!" he said sitting Noah down next to his brother. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He hurried out to his car, not even bothering to put his shoes on and returned with a handful of huge shopping bags.

Noah and Josh ignored the movie and watched Tony curiously. The senior field agent dumped out several nerf guns he'd purchased at the store earlier that day along with enough ammo to arm a small army. All three of the boys' faces lit up as they thought about all the possibilities.

They went to work opening the boxes, assembling the guns and loading the ammo. When they were done they laid them all out on the living room floor and each chose a weapon to start with. Tony gave the boys to the count of ten to find somewhere to hide and they both scurried off in opposite directions. He counted out loud then headed off in the direction he'd seen one of the boys go. It was every man for himself as the three chased each other through house, shooting at each other and hiding to avoid behind shot.

After almost an hour of chasing each other through the house and being pelted with nerf darts, the boys decided to take a break for dinner. Tony called and ordered a couple pizzas then called Tim, Ziva and Abby to come over and join in the fun. There were plenty of guns and all three boys knew it would be more fun with more people playing. The rest of the team showed up and after eating and giving their dinner a chance to settle, they once again chose their weapons and all disappeared into different corners of the house.

* * *

><p>Gibbs decided to take Jenny to one of the local indoor mini golf courses for their date. It would give them an opportunity to have fun and enjoy being together without being interrupted by the boys. Both did horribly, shooting way over par on each hole because they were too busy teasing one another and poking at each other, trying to mess the other one up and enjoying any excuse for physical contact.<p>

After two games of mini golf, each round worse than the previous, the two headed back to Jenny's house. It was still early and neither were ready for their date to end. Jenny invited Gibbs in and he accepted. They both sat down on the couch next to each other. Gibbs wrapped Jenny in his arms and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Jenny turned her head and their lips met.

"I had fun tonight," she said snuggling into Gibbs' embrace.

"Me too," Gibbs said resting his head on top of hers. The two sat quietly for a moment, enjoying the time alone together. Gibbs was first to break the silence. "Jen." His voice was so quiet she almost missed it.

"Hmm?" Jenny wrapped her arm across Gibbs' midsection and cuddled closer to him.

"I think we should make things a little more permanent," he said stumbling over his words a bit. "I'd like you to consider to moving in with me and the boys. You're already over all the time and the boys are comfortable with you. Everything feels natural except the part about you going home each night."

"Wow," Jenny said. She sat quietly thinking about everything from their present situation to what their future might hold. She had a choice; she could either run away again or commit to being there for the long haul. With her career right where she wanted it she didn't see any reason to run again. More importantly, she didn't want to run again. She was ready to settle down and start thinking about a family.

Gibbs gave her a minute to think before he spoke again. "Talk to me," he said gently. "What are you thinking?"

"I think that," she paused and smiled up at him, "nothing would make me happier."

Gibbs smiled as he leaned over and kissed her. Jenny rested her hand against his cheek and moved her leg over his legs as she leaned into the kiss more. The gentle pecks turned into hungry, passionate kisses ending with Jenny sitting on Gibbs' lap by the time they broke apart. They stared silently into each other's eyes. It was time. They'd waited and put the boys first while they considered what they wanted for their own futures but the decision had been made. There was no reason to wait any longer.

Jenny's eyes moved from Gibbs' eyes to his chest as she started undoing the buttons on his shirt. Gibbs watched her as his hands moved from her face down to her neck, shoulders and arms and came to rest on her hips. Jenny laughed quietly once she had most of his shirt unbuttoned.

"What's funny?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"You wear too many layers," Jenny said untucking his undershirt from pants.

"What can I say? I'm a man of many layers," Gibbs said with a smirk.

Jenny smiled and pushed him back against the couch before leaning in and pressing kisses to his chest as she inhaled his familiar scent. It took her back to the wild, passionate love making they'd shared in Paris but this wasn't Paris. This was Washington DC, home. There was no more running, no more hiding. This was the beginning of their new life, their life together, their second chance.

Gibbs relaxed into the couch and focused on controlling his body's reaction. They'd resisted temptation and waited and now that it was time he wanted to make sure the night was one they'd never forget.

* * *

><p>It was after midnight by the time Gibbs parked his car in his driveway. He'd forgotten his undershirt at Jenny's house and was hoping somehow that Tony wouldn't notice. He'd rather leave the details of his evening with Jenny to the young man's imagination but a missing undershirt was a telltale sign of what they'd done.<p>

His curiosity peaked when he saw Tim, Ziva and Abby's cars parked in front of his house. He knew his boys were in good hands with them so he wasn't concerned in the least but he did wonder what kind of mischief the group had gotten into. He entered the house and found everyone sleeping piled on top of each other on the living room floor. He turned the TV off and covered them up as best as he could before he lifted Noah out of the dog pile.

"Daddy?" the little boy said around a yawn.

"Yeah, it's just me, Buddy," Gibbs answered. He pulled Noah's head to his chest as he carried the little boy down the hall and into the bathroom. "Did you guys have fun tonight?"

"Uh-huh." Noah was barely awake and having a hard time not falling asleep in Gibbs' arms.

"What'd you guys do?" Gibbs asked as he sat Noah on the toilet. "Go pee pee for me."

"I not a'pposed a tell," Noah said, "but if you promise not to say I telled you then I will."

"I promise," Gibbs said with a smile. He was growing more and more curious about what Tony had done with them that evening.

"Tony bringed guns with ss-squishy bullets and we shooted each other," Noah said happily. "Then we eated pizza and then, um, Timmy and Abby and Ziva comed over and them played with us too and then we watched a movie and eated popcorn and candy but everybody falled asleep and Ziva was snoring."

"Yeah? What happened when Ziva started snoring?" Gibbs asked as he helped Noah get his pants up.

"Uh, Tony telled her to be quiet but her wouldn't so him rub—he rubbeded her tummy till she stopped."

"Well it must've worked," Gibbs said, "because I don't hear her snoring anymore."

"Yeah," Noah said stretching his arms out for Gibbs to pick him up, "she be'd quiet." Gibbs lifted Noah into his arms and kissed his temple. "Daddy, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Sure Buddy," Gibbs said, "Daddy has to take a quick shower then I'll lie down with you."

Noah had been a little more clingy since Josh's arrival but Gibbs was doing his best to make sure both boys got more than enough of his love and affection. They both came from single parent homes and had both been neglected their whole lives. Gibbs was determined to do everything he could to make up for lost time and make sure there was no doubt in the boys' minds that they were loved.

After grabbing Squirt from the living room, Gibbs made sure the house was locked up then took Noah upstairs and laid him down in his bed. He took a quick shower then stretched out next to the little boy. Noah scooted over to Gibbs' side of the bed, tucked himself under his daddy's arm and quickly fell asleep. Gibbs wasn't far behind.

* * *

><p>Gibbs woke the following morning when Josh crawled into bed next to him. The boy's feet were like ice and as soon as they made contact with Gibbs' leg, he was awake. "Mornin' Bud," Gibbs said. "How'd you sleep?"<p>

"Good," Josh said. "I got a little cold this morning."

"I can feel that," Gibbs said with a smile as he pulled Josh close and kissed his forehead. "Give me your feet. I'll warm them up for you." He rubbed Josh's feet between his hands, letting the friction warm them while Josh relaxed next to him in bed. With all the moving around and whispering, Noah started to wake.

"Are you up too?" Gibbs asked pulling Noah close and giving him a kiss good morning.

"Yeah," Noah said around a yawn. "Is Joshy in here?"

"Yep," Gibbs said, "Joshy's on my other side." Noah propped his head on Gibbs' chest and giggled at his brother. "I think it's time to wake the others up," Gibbs said. "Where'd Tony hide the nerf guns?"

"Him hided them in his truck in his car!" Noah said excitedly.

"Okay, you guys wait here," Gibbs said. "I'll be right back." He moved silently down the stairs and found Tony's car keys in the mess of keys on the table in the entryway. He headed out to the car, gawked at the trunk full of weapons and ammo then grabbed two of the guns and returned to his bedroom where the boys were still giggling. "Alright guys," he said handing them each a gun, "go get 'em."

The boys snuck down the stairs as quietly as they could, easily returning to game mode from the previous evening. It was early enough on Saturday morning that the team was still dead to the world. The boys opened fire on the group, chanting in victory as the unsuspecting agents were bombarded by foam missiles. Gibbs stood in the doorway watching, enjoying see his kids so happy and catching his team off guard.

"Not nice, Boss," Tony said. "You could've warned us you were raising two sneaky snipers."

"What fun would that be?" Gibbs asked with a smirk as he stepped over and around the group to get to the kitchen.

While Tony, Tim, Ziva and Abby got themselves up, Gibbs headed into the kitchen to start breakfast. Once Tony finally wrestled the nerf guns away from the still giggling boys, he turned the Saturday morning cartoons on and got them calmed them down. He wasn't used to getting up so early on a Saturday and needed a little longer to fully wake.

Gibbs made a mountain of sausage and bacon, a large bowl of cheesy scrambled eggs and turned a bag of potatoes into hash browns. He cut up some fresh fruit to add a healthy touch to the meal. The group crammed together around the dining room table and enjoyed their breakfast while they talked about the events of the previous evening and shared their weekend plans. After breakfast the team disappeared and Gibbs sat down with Josh and Noah on the couch to talk to them.

"What do you guys think of Mommy moving in here?" he asked.

"I think that Mommy should live here with us all a time," Noah said getting excited about the prospect. Up until then Daddy and Mommy had told him how much they loved him but adult stuff seemed to get in the way of both of them living with him. He didn't understand anything about the complexities of a romantic adult relationship. "I think that Tony and Timmy and Abby and Ziva should live here with us all a time too!"

Gibbs laughed as he pulled Noah's head to his chest and kissed him. "I think we might need a bigger house if we move everybody in here."

"Is them all gonna move here?" Noah asked.

"Mommy's going to move here," Gibbs said, "but your brothers and sisters are old enough to live by themselves now. They can come visit you guys whenever they want but I think they like having their own places to live." Gibbs turned his attention to Josh who hadn't said anything. He was still quiet and kept his thoughts to himself but Gibbs was getting pretty good at getting him to open up. "What are you thinking, Josh?"

"I'm excited," Josh said although his tone told Gibbs he was still working through the idea in his mind.

"What's on your mind, Kiddo?" Gibbs asked gently.

Josh shrugged and cuddled into Gibbs' side when the agent wrapped his arm around him. Gibbs sent Noah upstairs to get dressed then waited patiently until Josh was ready to speak. "Do I have to call her mom?" he asked in a whisper.

"Nope," Gibbs answered. "You can call her Jenny like you have been or Mom or Mommy or whatever you feel comfortable with."

"Will she be mad if I keep on not calling her mom?" Josh asked.

Gibbs started moving his hand up and down Josh's arm while he listened to what his boy was saying and attempted to read between the lines. Josh had a difficult time sharing his feelings but Gibbs was learning to read him. "She won't be mad at all, Josh. Both Jen and I just want you to know that you're loved. We want you to feel like you belong here, like you're a part of us. It doesn't matter if you call us Dad and Mom or Gibbs and Jenny or even hey you," he teased.

"I do think of her as a mom," Josh confessed quietly, "as a mom for me, I guess, kind of. I don't know."

"You know what I think, Josh?" Gibbs said. "I think because of what your mom did to you, you maybe associate mom with something not so good."

Josh turned away from Gibbs, a little bit ashamed of his feelings. "I feel bad. I think I loved my real mom. I tried to love her."

"That's okay," Gibbs said holding him tighter. "It sounds to me like you loved your mom but not some of the things she did to you. Does that sound about right?"

Josh was surprised at Gibbs' insight. He was surprised that Gibbs seemed to know how he felt, maybe even better than he did. He wondered how much the agent really understood. A slight nod of his head confirmed what Gibbs had already suspected. Gibbs leaned down and kissed the top of his head then ruffled his hair.

"Everything you're going through and feeling is normal," he whispered into the boy's hair.

Josh nodded his head. He still had some reservations about Jenny moving in but he felt better about his feelings towards his own mother after the talk with Gibbs. The way Gibbs had explained things made him not feel so guilty about that little part of him that resented her. "When is Jenny coming over?"

"Well, we're going to go over to Jen's house this morning and help her pack and then we'll all come back here together," Gibbs said. "How does that sound?"

"Good," Josh said.

Gibbs got himself and the boys ready then they headed over to Jenny's house. She'd already been hard at work that morning. Gibbs started loading already packed boxes into the back of his truck while Jenny got Noah busy packing shoes and Josh packing books. She taped another box together and continued packing her clothes. She really wasn't planning on taking very much with her. She'd grown up having all her wants and needs met but her time with NCIS had taught her how little she could live with. There had been many times that she and Gibbs had nothing but the clothes on their back while they were following their targets. Gibbs lived a simple life as well. He valued things that couldn't be purchased with money. The bulk of her belongings would remain at the house and she knew she wouldn't miss them.

After everything was packed and loaded into the truck Noah got in the car with Jenny and Gibbs took Josh with him. He'd noticed that Josh still seemed to have some reservations and wanted to talk to him again on the drive home. He was determined to get to the bottom of whatever was on Josh's mind.

"What's bugging you, Kiddo?" he asked. Josh shrugged, his eyes focused in his lap. "Josh, talk to me, man," Gibbs said gently. "What's going on?"

"Nothing really," Josh said, twiddling his thumbs. "It's not important."

"If it's bothering you then it's important to me," Gibbs said, reaching over to squeeze the boy's shoulder. "Do you not want Jen to move in?"

"It's not that," Josh said with a sigh. "It's just that, I guess I'm kind of worried."

"Whatcha worried about?" Gibbs pressed when Josh grew quiet again.

Josh looked up at Gibbs half wondering what he'd done to tip Gibbs off and half wondering if it really was okay to talk to him about what was on his mind. Gibbs waited patiently while the boy worked out his dilemma in his head. "It's just that sometimes when Mom's boyfriends spent the night she ignored me," the boy paused before continuing, "actually that happened all the time."

Gibbs could hear the worry in his voice, he could see his little boy was uncomfortable and was impressed with his willingness to talk despite the fact that Gibbs had to work hard to get him started. "Joshua, you and your brother are more important than anything else to Jenny and I. No matter what happens, we'll always make sure you're taken care of." He paused and gave the boy a moment to digest what he was saying. "Do you believe me?"

"Yeah," Josh said, chewing on his lower lip.

"Jen's spent a lot of time at our house," Gibbs said. "Have we ever forgotten about you?"

Josh released a deep breath and stopped chewing on his lip. "No," he said, "I like playing board games together and going on walks and reading bedtime stories."

Gibbs smiled as he saw Josh relax. "Josh, I need you to promise me something," he said, "if you ever feel ignored or left out, it's very important that you tell me or Jenny."

Josh looked up at Gibbs, seriousness set in his face. "I promise."

"Come here," Gibbs said patting the seat between them, "scoot over here." Josh obeyed and got himself buckled in then Gibbs wrapped an arm around him and kissed the top of his head. "I love you, Joshua. I only want good things for you."

Josh smiled and leaned into him, feeling loved and relaxed and enjoying his alone time with Gibbs. He loved that the man took the time to notice him and cared enough to talk to him and really listen. "I love you too."

The group spent the rest of the day getting Jenny unpacked and settled in. Noah carefully arranged her shoes in her half of the closet, making sure each shoe was next to its match. Josh rearranged Gibbs' books and consolidated them enough there would be room for Jenny's books as well. Jenny hung clothes in the closet and put other clothing away in the dresser. Gibbs went back and forth between the three, spending time with each and lending a helping hand wherever it was needed after carrying the boxes inside.

Once everything had a place Jenny relaxed with the boys while Gibbs made dinner. They enjoyed grilled hamburgers and hotdogs then relaxed in front of the TV. All of them were tired from the physical exertion of the day and enjoyed chilling out together.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

Gibbs got an unexpected call from Joshua's school late Thursday morning. It was a slow day so he left his team to continue working and headed over, wondering what was going on. The teacher had told him Josh wasn't sick or hurt so that eased his mind a little but Gibbs couldn't figure out why he'd be getting a call. Joshua had never been in trouble before, he got along great with the other kids and he was a good student. By the time Gibbs got to the school, he'd worked himself into a little bit of a panic. He was met by Josh's counselor as soon as he walked into the school.

"Where's Josh? What's going on?" he asked as the counselor led him through the main office back to her small office.

"Josh is right in here," the counselor said. The older, bald man motioned for Gibbs to sit in the chair in front of his desk, next to Josh's teacher.

"We had a history test this morning," the teacher started, "and Joshua always tests well but he handed in a test full of missing and wrong answers. It's almost like he didn't even try."

"He's being tightlipped about it," the counselor added. "We were just a little concerned because this is so unlike him."

"What happened, Josh?" Gibbs asked. "I know you studied because I helped you."

"I forgot some of the stuff," Josh said hesitantly. He saw the disbelieving look from Gibbs and decided to try something else. "I got confused?" It was more of a question than a statement or maybe more of a hope that the adults in the room would buy that excuse and leave him alone.

"Is it okay if I take him out for lunch and bring him back later?" Gibbs asked, gently squeezing the back of his boy's neck. He was sure he could get Josh to talk to him without an audience around him.

"That would be fine," the teacher said. "Josh, why don't you go get your jacket, Honey." She waited for Josh to leave then turned her attention back to Gibbs. "I'm willing to let Josh retake the test. I'm just concerned because he's never done anything like this before."

"I'll talk to him," Gibbs said, "see what I can find out. I'm not sure what's going on with him today. I know he studied hard for this test. I quizzed him last night and he knew the material."

Josh returned with his jacket and Gibbs wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him out to the car. They headed to Fazoli's a couple streets away from school, ordered their lunch then sat down in a booth towards the back of the restaurant. As soon as their meals arrived the harder questions replaced the small talk the two had been passing the time with.

"What's going on, Joshy?" Gibbs asked. Noah had coined the nickname shortly after Josh's arrival and it had become a term of affection that the seven year old enjoyed.

Hearing Gibbs use his nickname immediately put Josh at ease. He'd been frantically searching for an excuse logical enough Gibbs would believe ever since they'd left the school but had come up empty handed. He and Noah had never been able to pull a fast one over on Gibbs.

"I, uh, it's just that, well, um," Josh fumbled his words, trying to find a reason for his poor performance.

"Just tell me the truth, Josh," Gibbs encouraged.

"Um," Josh took a big bite of his spaghetti and took his time chewing it up and swallowing it then it came to him. "I got distracted and couldn't concentrate."

"Yeah?" Gibbs asked watching Josh closely. "What distracted you?"

"Uh…" Another short pause told Gibbs that Josh still wasn't telling him the truth but he listened patiently. "Another kid— there was— somebody um— the kid sitting next to me kept whispering things to me." The boy slumped over in his seat and reminded himself to breathe. Lying was hard work and not something he was accustomed to. His mother never cared what he did. He'd never once had to explain himself to her and he was feeling the pressure trying to create a believable story for Gibbs.

Gibbs took a bite of his sub as he tried to figure out how to best get the truth out of Josh. "You know what I think?" he asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "I think you're protecting somebody." He watched as Josh started squirming and refused to look into his eyes. "Do you believe me when I tell you I love you and that I only want the best for you?"

"Yeah," Josh said quietly.

"Do you trust me?" Gibbs continued.

"Yes," Josh said taking a quick peek up at Gibbs' face.

"Talk to me, Buddy," Gibbs said. "Tell me why you turned in a test full of wrong answers."

Josh was quiet for a moment as his eyes roamed everywhere except right in front of him where Gibbs was sitting. "When I was playing with Noah the other night he told me he used to go to big kid school but he was too dumb and everybody hated him. I just thought if I wasn't so smart then maybe it would help him feel a little better."

However misguided Josh's actions were, Gibbs swelled with pride at his son's attempt to try to help his brother. For a boy who had only ever done his best and excelled in school, purposely failing a test had been quite the sacrifice. He could see how the seven year old might reason that as being an acceptable solution to help his younger brother's poor self esteem.

"Wow Josh, I don't even know what to say," Gibbs said. He hadn't expected a selfless act being the reason for failing his test. He hadn't planned on punishing Josh in the first place but he had to figure out how to deal with this current situation.

"Are you mad at me?" Josh asked timidly.

"No," Gibbs said. "I think it was a very considerate thing you did. I know you were trying to help your brother."

"But?" Josh knew there was a 'but' coming. He was waiting to be spanked or grounded or whatever punishment Gibbs had for him. He would take it like a man. In his mind it was worth it.

"But your schoolwork is important, Kiddo," Gibbs said. "I didn't take Noah out of kindergarten because he was dumb or because everybody hated him. I took him out because he was in the wrong grade. He's a little bit behind the other kids his age but he's catching up."

"I didn't think he was dumb," Josh said. "I just wanted him to not feel so bad."

"I know," Gibbs said, "and that was a really nice thing you did but from now on I want you to do your best in school. Your teacher's going to let you retake your test. Do you think you can do better this time?"

"A lot better," Josh admitted.

"That's my boy," Gibbs said with a proud smile. "Let's get you back to school."

They finished eating then Gibbs took Josh back to school. He arranged for him to retake his test after school that day and after Josh was settled in, he headed back to the Navy Yard. He checked in with his team then headed to the daycare. Naptime had just ended leaving a group of still half asleep children sitting at the table waiting for their snack.

Noah looked up at Gibbs, his eyes only half open and smiled at him. Gibbs smiled back and crooked his finger at him. Noah rubbed one eye with his fist as he unsteadily made his way over to his daddy.

"I'm going to keep him with me for the rest of the day," Gibbs told Casey as he lifted Noah into his arms.

"I didn't eated my snack yet," Noah said.

"I thought you and I could go get a snack together," Gibbs said. "How does that sound?"

"Okay," Noah said. He rested his head against Gibbs' chest and closed his eyes. Gibbs smiled and kissed his head before sitting him down in front of his cubby and helping him get his shoes on.

Gibbs took Noah to the Burger King on base and they both got French fries and a soda. Noah was fully awake after listening to music in the car and talking to Gibbs about all the fun he'd had that morning.

"What do you think of your new school?" Gibbs asked as they started in on their French fries.

"Everybody is nice," Noah answered. "I like it there."

"Do you know why you switched schools?" Gibbs asked, watching Noah's body language as he ate another fry.

Noah's expression saddened. "Because nobody liked me at my other school," he answered, poking a French fry into his ketchup cup. "I is not as smart as them is."

Gibbs mentally kicked himself for not doing a better job of explaining things to Noah. "You are a very smart boy, Noah," Gibbs said, "and a very good friend. The reason you switched schools is because you were in the wrong grade. You know how you're learning your ABCs and how to write your name?" Noah looked up at Gibbs and nodded. "Did you learn that at your old school?"

"No," Noah said. "All a other kids knowed it already. A teacher sayed I was a'pposed a know it too. Her gotted mad at me."

"She shouldn't have been mad at you, Noah," Gibbs said. "The way she treated you was wrong."

"Do I have to go back there?" Noah asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "Next year I'm going to enroll you in Josh's school. You'll go to kindergarten there and have nice friends and teachers." He realized they were getting off topic and he needed to bring things back around. "You're learning all kinds of things in your new school, aren't you? You know how to write your name and your alphabet and your numbers. You are one smart little boy."

Noah shrugged his shoulders, not really believing what Gibbs was saying. He thought his daddy was just being nice to him. "I don't care if I is dumb anyways," he said as he followed Gibbs over to the trashcan.

"You're not dumb, Buddy," Gibbs said firmly as he dumped their garbage. He put the tray on top of the trashcan then lifted Noah into his arms. Noah avoided eye contact but there was no way Gibbs was going to let him think so poorly of himself. "Hey," he said. He waited for Noah to look at him before continuing. "Have I ever lied to you?" Noah shook his head. "That's right," Gibbs said, "and I'm not going to start now. You're one of the smartest kids I know. You're still little. You're not supposed to know everything."

Gibbs paused and watched Noah as his words sunk in. "I love you, Noah," he said, hugging his little boy close. He knew after years of being told he wasn't good enough, it would take time to change his thinking.

Noah looked up at Gibbs and smiled. "I love you, Daddy," he said. Gibbs kissed his cheek then helped him into the car.

Gibbs returned to NCIS and left Noah in the bullpen with his team while he headed upstairs to talk to Jenny. He told her what happened with Josh that morning and about his conversation with Noah. After checking her schedule, Jenny offered to pick Josh up after he'd retaken his test since Gibbs was keeping Noah with him that afternoon. The two took a break from their work and talked about the boys and what they could do to help them overcome the obstacles that had been placed in their paths. The good news was they were still young; the bad news was their birthmothers had done a lot of damage over the first years of their lives.

Tony and Noah spent the first part of the afternoon causing all kinds of mischief. A whoopee cushion was put in Tim's chair, everything in Ziva's desk drawers was rearranged while she was in the bathroom, a probie from another team left his badge lying out so they hid that but when they took all the paper from the printer to make paper airplanes, Gibbs got involved.

"If you two can't behave you're not going to be able to hang out together," he said. He'd been patient with them to that point but he had to draw the line somewhere. "I'm glad you guys are having fun but this is an office."

"Sorry Dad," Tony said.

"We will be good boys," Noah added.

Even with the warning it was a struggle for the boys to stay out of trouble, especially when Josh was added into the mix. Gibbs finally sent the three of them to walk down the block and get him some coffee. When they got back there was a pile of work on Tony's desk and Abby was there waiting to take Josh down to her lab. Gibbs gave Noah the option of returning to daycare or going with Abby.

"I wanna watch TV with Tony," Noah said, his blue eyes silently pleading with Gibbs.

"Tony has work to do," Gibbs replied, not swayed by the little boy's attempt to look pathetic.

Noah slumped his shoulders and puffed his lip out as he continued looking up at Gibbs. Gibbs smiled and tapped the tip of Noah's nose. "You're a little cutie but I won't be swayed by your good looks and charm."

When Noah realized Gibbs wasn't going to cave, he rested his head against his daddy's leg. He was having a lot of fun goofing off with Tony and didn't want to be sent away. Gibbs lifted him up and kissed his forehead. "Can I watch TV with Mommy?" he asked.

"As long as she doesn't have any appointments this afternoon and she says it's okay," Gibbs answered. Tony made faces at Noah as Gibbs headed out of the bullpen. Noah giggled and made faces back over Gibbs' shoulder. "Get to work, DiNozzo," Gibbs said without missing a beat.

Jenny didn't have any meetings scheduled for the afternoon so Noah stretched out on the couch to watch TV while he played with Squirt. The little boy flipped around in every direction before finally doing a back flip off the couch. He was bored and couldn't sit still. Jenny watched, cringing as he flopped all over. The last thing he needed was a busted head.

"Are you sure you don't want to go play at daycare with your friends, Honey?" she asked.

Noah looked up at Jenny and shook his head. "I want to stay here," he said as he walked over to her. "I want to play with Tony." He laid himself across Jenny's legs and looked up at her, wondering if she would take pity on him.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie," Jenny said rubbing his back. "Tony has work to do but I'm sure he'll come over to the house soon and you guys can play all you want."

Noah climbed into Jenny's lap and she cuddled him. She looked at the work covering her desk and decided her baby was more important. "How about you and I play a game," she suggested. "I know I'm not Tony but we can still have fun, can't we?"

"What 'bout work?" Noah asked. "Will you get in trouble?"

"Nope," Jenny said. "Work can wait. You're more important."

Noah's face lit up instantly. He scurried off her lap and headed for the cabinet that she now kept a few board games in. After looking over his choices, he decided on Trouble. He liked the loud popping and fun colors and showing off his ability to count.

"What color do you wanna be?" Noah asked.

"I want you to pick first," Jenny said.

"Um, I think I will pick green!" Noah said.

"Then I'll be yellow," Jenny said.

Gibbs found them nearly two hours later right in the middle of an intense game of Chutes and Ladders, the conference table covered in board games.

* * *

><p>The adoption proceeding was scheduled to take place the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Gibbs and Jenny had taken the boys shopping and purchased little suits for them. Noah had picked out a bowtie to go with his and Josh had settled on a clip on necktie to go with his suit. After a trip through a couple shoe stores, both had everything they'd needed for their big day. They'd both be wearing black pants and a matching jacket. Noah had a blue dress shirt that brought out the blue of his eyes and Josh had chosen a gray dress shirt. A dark blue bowtie for Noah, black tie for Josh and two pairs of shiny black dress shoes and both boys were ready for their big day.<p>

Tuesday morning brought an unsettling feeling for Gibbs. D'Arcy had told him things looked good, all their evaluations and home visits had gone very well but with the boys' futures on the line Gibbs was feeling the pressure. He showered and shaved then dressed in his nicest suit, choosing a plain light blue dress shirt to contrast the navy blue suit. A maroon pinstripe tie completed the look and added a little color.

Jenny put on one of her business suits, a lighter toned tan skirt with a darker tan jacket and white dress shirt but after looking at herself in the mirror she decided she didn't like that look. She changed into her black pinstripe suit with a forest green dress shirt. Satisfied with that look, she and Gibbs both headed down the hall to get the boys up and ready. Jenny headed into Noah's room, knowing Josh would prefer Gibbs' help since he was a guy. When Noah realized both Gibbs and Josh were wearing a regular necktie, he decided he wanted one too instead of his bowtie. Gibbs tied one of his ties for Noah then Josh decided he wanted to wear one of Gibbs' ties too. Once everybody was settled and happy with the way they looked, the group headed out.

D'Arcy met them in the parking lot, all smiles. "Aren't you a fine looking bunch!" she said.

"Thank you," Josh said tugging at his tie.

Noah stayed right next to Gibbs, holding his daddy's hand in both of his. He could sense Gibbs' uneasiness and was unsure of what was going to happen. Would everything be okay? Would he still be allowed to live with his mommy and daddy? Would his brother get to keep living with him? He had so many questions and there were no answers yet. Jenny rested her hand on Noah's shoulder, trying to provide some physical reassurance to him as she held onto Josh's hand. D'Arcy walked into the courthouse with them, offering all the positive reassurance she could as they went.

The team filtered in not long after Gibbs, Jenny and the boys, all of them in their Sunday best. Jenny watched as Gibbs grew more and more uneasy. She could see both boys feeding off him and knew she had to do something. She asked the team to keep an eye on the kids and she pulled Gibbs aside.

"Just breathe, Jethro," she said gently as she fixed his tie. "Everything's going to work out just fine."

Gibbs stood patiently while she fussed over him, straightening his tie and smoothing out his jacket. He focused on his breathing, trying to keep his breaths calm and even. He hated waiting, hated being patient and more than anything, he hated feeling out of control.

Jenny rested her hands against his chest and watched him for a moment. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Gibbs answered. "This is just such a big deal and there's nothing more I can do. It's hard when your future is in somebody else's hands."

Jenny moved one hand from Gibbs' chest up to cup his cheek. "I know it is," she said lovingly, "but everything will be okay. You'll see."

Gibbs smiled slightly at her as he leaned in for a quick kiss. "Thanks for keeping me grounded," he said. He brushed his thumb over her cheek as she patted his chest.

"Any time," she said. They rejoined the group and waited patiently for their case to be called.

Forty five minutes later they walked out of the courthouse as Noah and Joshua Gibbs with two very proud parents along with a group of brothers and sisters that couldn't have been happier.

* * *

><p>That Thanksgiving brought a lot for Gibbs to be thankful for, the two young lives that had been added to his family and Jenny coming back into his life. Christina breaking into his home had allowed him to be the hand of justice. He'd received word that JP Lambert would never hurt a child again. The other inmates had put an end to his life and it hadn't been pretty. Jack was down to spend Thanksgiving with his growing family and meet his grandsons for the first time. The quiet, lonely house Gibbs usually woke up to was now filled with love and family.<p>

He rolled over and woke Jenny with a gentle kiss. Jenny wrapped her arm around him and cuddled in as close as she could as she woke.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"0730," Gibbs answered before kissing her head.

Jenny moaned happily. She loved waking up in his arms as he peppered her with his kisses. "I've got to get the turkey in," she said before leaning up and kissing him.

They both got out of bed and headed down the hall to check on the boys, their boys. They found Josh in Noah's bed and smiled. The boys had grown close; they seemed to share a natural bond. Gibbs and Jenny knew the team would be there soon, the girls to help with the cooking and the guys to watch football, but the two proud new parents took a moment to hold each other and count their blessings as they watched their boys sleep. A lot had changed since the first time they'd met all those years ago. They were now both on the same page. Family was the most important thing and nothing would ever come between them again.

**THE END**


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